The Santa Catalina Convent

Built in 1580. Only the nuns from the best Spanish families were accepted here. Traditionally, the second daughter of upper-class families entered a nunnery, supposedly to live in poverty and renounce the material world. However, each nun had between one and four servants or slaves (usually black), and had musical performances and parties.

After three centuries of this, the pope complained that Santa Catalina was more like an exclusive club than a convent, and sent a strict Dominican nun to straighten things out.

The nuns and servants who once lived here never ventured outside the convent. Accordingly, the place was shrouded in mystery for almost 400 years. It finally opened to the public in 1970. The remaining nuns continue to lead a cloistered life, but only in the northern corner of the complex. The rest is now open to the public, the tourism in part to pay for the upkeep of the convent.

Aside from the wonderful Peruvian people, the convent of Santa Catalina was one of the major reasons that I returned to Peru. We were extremely impressed with the beauty and vivid colors of the convent, with the pastel walls beautifully contrasting with period furnishing, bright flowers, and religious art.

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