Arequipa is a "White city" that surprises with its light architecture. But there is also a bright emphasis on the Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena (Monasterio de Santa Catalina), founded in 1580. The huge complex covers an area of more than 20 square kilometers, so it can be called a city within a city. There are more than 100 different buildings, a church, and even its art gallery – Pinacoteca.

The monastery is incredibly picturesque. All its walls are painted in bright colors, pink and blue. There are beautiful tubs of geraniums all around, and orange trees grow in small gardens.

During its heyday, more than 450 people lived on the territory of the monastery. Now there are only 20 nuns who carefully preserve this cultural and architectural heritage.

There is a legend that the first girls who entered the monastery as novices did not lead a saintly life. They were Rich young Spanish widows who took with them almost all their property including servants. Their life in the monastery did not change, they lived as before, but they were considered righteous women worthy of respect.

Girls from poor Indian families came here to get an education and learn various crafts. There were courses in cooking, sewing, gardening, and weaving.

The standard of living of the nuns varied significantly, this was noticeable in the decoration of their cells: some were completely inconspicuous, with a simple bed, one chair, and a small table, while others were real mansions. One of the novices ordered a piano, which cost more than 4,000 francs, for herself in Paris. As music was very popular in the monastery, this purchase was considered a reasonable investment in the further development of the monastery.

Of course, nuns didn't always live so freely. There was a period when the complex was run by a strict abbess, who forbade any entertainment events. But, fortunately for the novices, this did not last long, and everything returned to normal when the monastery began to look more like a pretty women membership club than a strict religious monastery.