SANTA CATALINA MONASTERY

From its foundation in 1579 until its opening to the public in 1970, the monastery lived jealously closed in on itself; even today, it houses a few nuns who have taken their vows of total isolation. Wealthy families sent their daughters there, along with a solid dowry that would add to the monastery's coffers. The first nun was Doña María de Guzmán. Widow of Diego Hernández de Mendoza, young, rich, beautiful and childless, she gave up all her possessions to live as a recluse. On September 10, 1579, the deed of foundation of the Monastery was signed on four plots of land belonging to the city and Doña María de Guzmán was named "first inhabitant and prioress". On October 2, 1580, during a solemn mass, Doña María was recognized as the founder and formally took the habit. The women who entered were Creoles, mestizos or even daughters of Inca dignitaries. In 1964 the monastery received its first Spanish nuns. In 1582 the monastery was seriously damaged by an earthquake and the nuns themselves repaired their cells. There is even an aspirant to sainthood, Sister Ana de Los Angeles, whose canonization never came to fruition. Born in 1604, she entered the monastery at the age of 3 to complete her education and was taken out of it at the age of 10 or 11 to be married. But a vision made her return to the Monastery of her own free will. She was prioress for a period of 3 years during which austerity was de rigueur. She is credited with 68 predictions, most of them about the imminent death of one of the other sisters or the unexpected healing of another. When she died in 1686, she was not embalmed because her body had a pleasant smell and ten years later when she was dug up, her body had not suffered any damage. Miracle healings are attributed to her post-mortem.

A visit to the place gives an idea of what this monastic life could have been like: tiny rooms-cells, a private kitchen and a room for the maid (also cloistered), painted in ochre, brown and red tones. The Zocodober plaza with its fountain, the blue and orange hues of the cloisters surrounded by arcades with innocent frescoes, however, add a note of cheerfulness. With its 20,000 square metres, this religious fortress is absolutely unique.

The vaults house an archaeological museum with pieces from the Chimú and Nazca cultures.

A guided tour in French is recommended. In the morning, the light falls wonderfully.