Convent of Santa Catalina and its color palette

At the south of Peru is located the city of Arequipa close to the Misti volcano. Here is the Convent of Santa Catalina or Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena. Renowned for its architecture and urban landscape, and its characteristic narrow streets and small squares of colors of this small citadel formed by 4 lots, which since its foundation served as monastery of nuns.

An architectural jewel from 1579, the year of its foundation. Its architectural style is rather a fusion of the colonial style brought by the Spaniards and the native elements. It is valuable its construction carried out in the treatment of sillar, which is a white volcanic stone very used in the colonial architecture of Arequipa,

But what stands out, besides its architecture, is the use of colors such as red, indigo blue, terracotta, orange, yellow. According to the historian Juan Guillermo Carpio, the city of Arequipa had a polychrome face until the year 1979-1980 when the mayor issued an ordinance to return the walls to their natural state.

And we can appreciate the use of strong colors in the different artisan crafts in Peru. A clear example are the blankets (frazadas) or rugs that are made in the communities of the Andes. Colors that create contrast and that make you vibrate with their energy.

A great destination if you like to appreciate architecture as well as the collection of paintings that they keep in the gallery. For more information, you can visit the web:

http://www.santacatalina.org.pe/

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