The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena, or Saint Catherine's Convent, is a religious tourist complex located in the historic center of Arequipa, Department of Arequipa, Peru.
The citadel was located in the south of Peru in the city of Arequipa founded on September 10, 1579 and located in an area that stands out for its natural beauty, cozy climate and it has a great material with which it is built and continues to be made the architecture of this city, Sillar. In the monastery there are two types, the white ashlar that comes from the Chachani Volcano and the pink one from the Misti Volcano which is emblem of the city. The citadel occupies a land of 20,000 square meters and is absolutely isolated from the city although it is located in the heart of it. A large, solid 4-meter-high wall insulated the lives of women who lived in the monastery.
Charm of this citadel lies in solidity and plasticity of its volumes, and the beauty that master builders and architects achieved in the architecture of those enclosures through solutions such as flying buttresses or the construction of strong arches on pillars. Inside, domes and vault roofs considerably expand space and increase feeling of buildings strength. It is perceived also, especially on street area, intervention of bricklayers who, lacking a proper architectural design, were building walls, roofs, cells, patios and covers of simple approach.
The current building houses splendid pieces of art, such as a baroque altar of carved and gilded wood, a body and three streets, which exornates the chapel, and several Cuzco school paintings.
Saint Catherine's Monastery is Peaceful place plenty of history. Its architecture is awesome, but even more so the good state of conservation. Everything is very well taken care of and it seems that everything comes back to life. If you are in Arequipa, it's worth it!