The convent of Santa Catalina is like a city within a city.  It takes up around five acres.  It was built in 1580 and later expanded.  Nuns lived in the complex for over 400 years, completely isolated from the outside world, and many were buried within the complex as well.  Today, a large part of Santa Catalina can be visited by the public, though the new section where the nuns live is still closed.

The convent was mainly built of the volcanic sillar stone so common in Arequipa.  Earthquake damage over the years forced reconstruction in different areas, so there are some architectural and structural variations in  different sections.  The first area we passed through was the Yard of Silence, followed by a cloister originally for the novices before they took their vows.  The nuns´ cells here were small, and enabled the nuns to live a private and solitary existence while they became fully ready to join the community.  There were cooking areas, with some original cooking implements, pots, etc. These kitchens were found throughout the convent.   High walls surround everything.

Further along was the Cloiseter of the Orange Trees and the quarters of the nuns who had taken their vows.  These areas were similarly simple, but a bit bigger and had some more personal belongings.  One interesting spot was the infirmary, with information on one of the nuns who cared for the others who were sick.  There was a wide variety of medicines and ointments, cures and a few beds.  Another interesting spot was the Laundry, added in 1770, where 20 huge earthenware jars cut in half and placed along a canal which filtered water through each jar.  All of the streets connecting the various areas had the names of places in Spain (Córdova, Burgos, Sevilla).

The main cloister is from the 1700s as well, and you can see the nuns´ confessionals that connect to the church as well as the large room where the nuns celebrated mass, hidden behind wooden walls from the rest of the congregation.  There were also examples of some of the things produced in the nunnery over the years, and a whole area where they made amazing, stamped communion wafers!

We spent hours wandering the streets and alleys and exploring every hidden corner we could find.  There are flowers, vaults, corridors, each with something new to discover.  It seems never-ending.    The convent holds an amazing collection religious art as well, displayed in a huge converted gallery and containing masters of the Cuzco school as well as European artists.  Although the nuns were of diverse backgrounds, many were of an aristocratic background, and this is reflected in the art.  The finishings of the buildings are amazing as well, and there is even a granite fountain brought from Spain.

More photos here