Probably the only comment I could make about the journey to Arequipa was the number of heavy trucks on the road carrying ore from the copper mines around the countryside.
Apart from the first day here when I went to the Convent Museum of San Francisco De Asis, the Monastery of Santa Catalina then did a free walking tour of the city for three hours, the rest of the time was spent relaxing and doing this blog. One thing worthy of note is that the convent was occupied by monks and the monastery by nuns, the opposite of what I am used to.
The Franciscan convent was built mainly of white sillar (compressed volcanic dust) with the arches and vaults of brick, in 1552. The alter was built of silver in the 17th century with the alter piece being relatively new. Throughout the convent there were beautiful painting, some very big, with most from the 15th century. We were not allowed.allowed to take photos in most of the interior but there were exceptions, The main cloister had a number of stone animal carvings (could not understand why a lion and a crocodile together) and huge vats that had been used to store wine.
Prior to the monastery being opened in 1970 about 400 paintings were found and many restored.
Apart from the first day here when I went to the Convent Museum of San Francisco De Asis, the Monastery of Santa Catalina then did a free walking tour of the city for three hours, the rest of the time was spent relaxing and doing this blog. One thing worthy of note is that the convent was occupied by monks and the monastery by nuns, the opposite of what I am used to.
The Franciscan convent was built mainly of white sillar (compressed volcanic dust) with the arches and vaults of brick, in 1552. The alter was built of silver in the 17th century with the alter piece being relatively new. Throughout the convent there were beautiful painting, some very big, with most from the 15th century. We were not allowed.allowed to take photos in most of the interior but there were exceptions, The main cloister had a number of stone animal carvings (could not understand why a lion and a crocodile together) and huge vats that had been used to store wine.
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| The Convent |
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| The Chapel |
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| The Choir Stalls |
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| A stained glass window |
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| The cloisters |
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| Stone animals
Built of sillar (compressed volcanic dust giving white walls) in 1579, the monastery was home to rich and poor women, the rich family paying US$200,000 as a dowry for their women to enter the monastery. For the rich it was a home from home with all the comforts they could want, large rooms and a servant to help them. This way of living was stopped by one of the popes in xxx when all the nuns were said to be equal and all were asked if they wanted to stay in the monastery especially those who had been forced in there by their families
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Prior to the monastery being opened in 1970 about 400 paintings were found and many restored.
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| A courtyard |
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| An inside street |
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| An inside street |
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| A courtyard |
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| Kitchen area for a rich nun |
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| Chapel |
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| Chapel altar |
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| Lying in state room |
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| The room of a rich nun |
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| Kitchen area for a rich nun |
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| Kitchen area for a poor nun
Later I went on another ‘free’ walk, the only cost being how much I wanted to tip at the end of the walk. Initially the small group were taken to the oldest part of the city which was very close to the hotel \i was staying in. Here the streets were narrow and the houses in good condition. It was also very quiet compared to the streets not too far away. Then it was to look at the first Roman Catholic church in the city which had a strange edifice in the wall. The alcapa showroom ws net where there was live animals and bales of fibre in one of the storerooms. By now it had started to rain, only lightly, so we walked to the main square and onto a restaurant roof so as to be able see down into the square. Walking out of the square we were taken through an arch, one I would have not looked into if I had been by myself as it did not look interesting, only to come out in the colonnade of an old Jesuit school with beautifully carved stone pillars. Sometimes the best things are those behind the facade. That was the end of the tour and I tipped more than I should have, I think.
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| The oldest Catholic church in Arequipa |
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| Outside the church |
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| The alpaca |
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| Alpaca fibre (not wool) |
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| Alpaca fibre (not wool) |
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| Cloisters of an old Jesuit school |
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| Pillars in the old school |
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| The cathedral |
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| The main square |
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| The colonnade in the main square |
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| The cathedral at night |
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