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Plaza de ArmasMercado San CamiloBasilica Cathedral of ArequipaHotel Costa del Sol ArequipaCasa Andina Private Collection Arequipa

Santa Catalina Monastery

Things to do in Peru

Santa Catalina Monastery is a monastery of nuns of the Dominican Second Order, located in Arequipa, Peru. It was built in 1579 and was enlarged in the 17th century. The over 20,000-square-meter monastery was built predominantly in the Mudéjar style, and is characterized by its vividly painted walls. There are approximately 20 nuns currently living in the northern corner of the complex; the rest of the monastery is open to the public. (source: Wikipedia)

Rating:

Google Rating4.6 / 5
Tripadvisor Rating4.6 / 5

Contact:

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+51 54 221235

Address:

301 Calle Santa Catalina, Arequipa, Arequipa PeruMap
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Category:

Religious Site

Selected Trips

Trip Blog Post by @brklyner: A Wedding Weekend in Peru | 3 days in Aug (itinerary, map & gallery)
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brklyner
3 days in Aug

A Wedding Weekend in Peru

Trip Blog Post by @yann_p1: Peru 2022 | 17 days in Jul/Aug (itinerary, map & gallery)
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yann_p1
17 days in Jul/Aug

Peru 2022

Selected Photos

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Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery

Traveler Notes

Santa Catalina Monastery

Santa Catalina Monastery is a must-visit in Arequipa. It is the biggest convent in the world. It's like a city in a city with streets inside the monastery having their own street names. It was founded in 1579 (39 years after the founding of Arequipa). Rich families used to send their second daughters to the monastery as a way to ensure a place in heaven for the families when they turn 13/14. Not every family can afford that because the admission required a dowery of 2,000 silver coins (~$15K in today's money). The daughters, after two years of novice training, become nuns and are never allowed to leave the monastery again. Each nun gets a spacious apartment inside the convent which typically includes a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and even a servant's room (families sent slaves as servants with their daughters to the convent). At peak, the monastery had 80 apartments that can accommodate 200 nuns (some apartments have 2 or 3 bedrooms). Today, only ~20 apartments survived the multiple earthquakes in Arequipa and there are still ~15 nuns who voluntarily live there (dowery is no longer required to become a nun). The monastery is painted in bright orange and bright blue colors, adorned with ornaments, flowers, and wall paintings inside. The well-preserved apartments give a good sense of how the nuns lived in the past.

A Wedding Weekend in Peru
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