On the Santa Catalina Convent tour, we’ll head to the most famous attraction in Arequipa: the 16th-century Santa Catalina Convent. The convent opened to the public in 1970 after nearly 400 years as a cloister. For a nun to enter the monastery, they first had to prove their Spanish origin and pay a dowry of at least 1,000 gold pesos. Once inside, they were largely cut off from the world within the sprawling monastery, which is like a little town all of its own, with narrow streets, gardens, and different sections for sleeping, cooking, and prayer. The monastery covers an entire city block, and exploring its picturesque alleyways and rooms is quite an experience.

When the restoration of the Monastery began, before it opened to the public, a great collection of primarily religious paintings was found, some dating to the Viceroyalty of Peru. Some 400 works were restored, revealing influences from Italian and Spanish schools of art, as well as excellent examples of the Cusco School. The most important paintings are displayed in two immense rooms inside the monastery, with high vaults, in the shape of a cross, from which the plaster has been removed to reveal the sillar walls.