Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 9am-12:30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 11:30am-12:30pm & 3-6pm Sat, 9am-noon &
5-6pm Sun)
One could argue that Arequipa's cathedral is just
too
big. Providing an inter-
esting antidote (and proving that small really can be beautiful) is this diminutive Jesuit
church on the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas. The front facade is an intricately
carved masterpiece of the
churrigueresque
style (think baroque and then some - a style
hatched in Spain in the 1660s). The equally detailed altar, completely covered in gold leaf,
takes the style further and will be eerily familiar to anyone who has visited Seville cathed-
ral in Spain. To the left of the altar is the
San Ignacio chapel
(admission S4)
, with a
polychrome cupola smothered in unusual jungle-like murals of tropical flowers, fruit and
birds, among which mingle warriors and angels.
Next door and accessed via Calle Santo Domingo, the
Claustros de la Campañía
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continues the ornate theme. This wonderful double courtyard is
ringed by cloisters held up by shapely
sillar
columns etched with skillful carvings. These
days the cloisters house what must be one of South America's most elegant shopping cen-
ters. You'll find a wine bodega, an ice-cream outlet, numerous alpaca wool shops and a
couple of elegant cafes here.
Monasterio de la Recoleta
(La Recoleta 117; admission S5; 9am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Sat)
A short cab ride from
the city center in a dicey neighborhood, this musty monastery was constructed on the west
side of the Río Chili in 1648 by Franciscan friars, though now it has been completely re-
built. Scholarship was an integral part of the Franciscans' order, and bibliophiles will de-
light in the huge library, which contains more than 20,000 dusty books and maps; the old-
est volume dates back to 1494. The library is open for supervised visits; just ask at the en-
trance. There is a well-known museum of Amazonian artifacts (including preserved jungle
animals) collected by the missionaries, and an extensive collection of pre-Conquest arti-
facts and religious art of the
escuela cuzqueña
(Cuzco School). Guides who speak Span-
ish, English, French and Italian are available; a tip is expected.
MONASTERY
Museo de Arte Virreinal de Santa Teresa
(Melgar 303; admission S10; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
This gorgeous 17th-
century Carmelite convent was opened to the public as a living museum a few years back.
The colonial-era buildings are justifiably famed for their decoratively painted walls and
restored rooms filled with priceless votive
objets d'art,
murals, precious metalworks,
colonial-era paintings and other historical artifacts. It is all capably explained by student
tour guides who speak Spanish, English, French, German and Portuguese; tips are appre-
MUSEUM
