Photo Gallery

The Santa Catalina Convent in Arequipa is a cloistered complex founded in 1579, laid out like a small colonial-era town. The buildings and arcades were largely constructed from white, porous volcanic stone (sillar), which is characteristic of Arequipa’s historic city centre. The deep ochre and orange tones of the walls in the cloisters form a striking contrast to the light-coloured stone buildings and the blue sky. The walled complex contains labyrinthine alleyways, squares, the nuns’ living quarters and beautiful courtyards. Peru – 1976

The Monastery of Santa Catalina (Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena) in Arequipa is a sprawling cloistered complex founded in 1579, which resembles a colourful citadel or a ‘city within a city’. The complex captivates visitors with its walls painted in vibrant blue and deep red, narrow alleyways (such as Calle Sevilla, visible here) and courtyards made of volcanic sillar stone. For almost four centuries, nuns lived here in complete seclusion from the outside world before the historic part was opened to the public as a museum in 1970. The convent is regarded as one of Peru’s most significant colonial buildings and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the historic city centre of Arequipa. – 1976

A picturesque alleyway with white archways and red flowers at the famous Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Monastery of St Catherine) in Arequipa. The complex consists of buildings made of sillar (volcanic tuff) painted in bright white and deep red. Founded in the 16th century, this cloistered convent resembles a small, self-contained town within the city of Arequipa. Its narrow alleyways, courtyards and flower beds make it one of Peru’s most important sights. – 1976