Get Thee to a Nunnery!

In 1579, the Dominicans built a unique convent, the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. This convent was built as its own city within the large city of Arequipa, Peru. The convent takes up over 5 acres and is surrounded by large stone walls separating it, and the nuns within it, from the rest of Arequipa. 

At its peak, the convent housed 200 nuns and 300 of their servants. This walled "city" is complete with 5 streets -- all named after different cities in Spain.

Along these streets are several plazas where the nuns could gather in their free time and enjoy the out-of-doors.

The nuns at Santa Catalina were primarily from wealthy families. The oldest child was expected to be married. The second child was expected to devote their life to God. If the second child was a girl, Santa Catalina was the most prestigious place to send them. The families would pay a very high dowry to send their girls to this convent. Accordingly, the convent was entirely self-sufficient and, in fact, very wealthy.

The girls would enter the convent at the age of 12. From the moment they entered the front door, they would never see their friends or family again. For most of their life, they were committed to a vow of silence and a secluded life.

From time to time, the nuns had the opportunity to speak with family members in the locutorios. These were small cells with a screen so that they could not be seen and could not see those on the outside. These conversations were only allowed with the permission of the Mother Superior and only with another nun present to ensure that the conversation only included appropriate topics.

When the young girls would first enter the monastery, they were novices for the first 1-5 years. They would spend all of their time learning the ways of the monastery and studying the bible. When they felt they were ready, they were asked to take their vows, at which time they would become official members of the monastery community. Each year that they were studying as a novice, the family would pay more money for their studies. Accordingly, the girls were under a bit of pressure to learn quickly and take their vows as soon as possible.

When they first entered, they were given their own room with a bed, a chair, an altar to pray, and a small cubby for any personal items.

Toilet in the Nun´s Rooms -- Usually with a Chamberpot Below

The nuns ate together in the communal dining room. Throughout the meal, one nun would read aloud from the bible from a pulpit in the corner. This responsibility shifted each day since the nun reading was forced to skip all meals for that day.

The monastery had a large bathing room where the nuns could take a bath once a week. Two nuns could bathe at the same time, but only with a large sheet to separate them for modesty purposes.

Some of the more extreme nuns practiced self-flagellation – castigating themselves in order to pay with their own pain for the salvation of others’ souls. To this end, some of the nuns had a bed of nails on which to sleep.

In general, however, the monastery seemed like a pretty nice place to live. The nuns had a beautiful town and nice homes, always plenty of food, and servants to take care of many of their needs.

Laundry Area

The Kitchen -- For 200 Nuns!

The Cemetary -- (the nuns didn´t even rejoin their families in death!)

A Life-Sized Last Supper (The nuns hand make all the clothes and even use their own hair for Jesus)

The monastery was opened to the public in 1970. Today it is still functional, housing 20 nuns ranging in age from 18 to 90. Their living quarters remain private and the nuns worship only at times when the monastery is closed. All of the nuns in Santa Catalina today enter voluntarily and are only allowed after the age of 18. They have internet access (with many websites blocked), email addresses, and are allowed telephone calls to loved ones. The nuns can even leave the monastery to visit an ailing family member with prior permission from the Mother Superior and only in pairs.

I spent 3 hours wandering these streets – the architecture is charming and the streets are peaceful and beautiful – a lovely, and timeless, contrast to the bustling streets of the city outside the walls.

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