Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [126]
Plaza de Armas
Arequipa’s main plaza showcases the city’s sillar architecture and the cathedral. The colonnaded balconies overlooking the plaza are a great place to relax over a snack or a coffee, though it’s the views you’re paying for, not the bland, overpriced cafe fare.
The history of La Catedral (23-2635; admission free; 7-11:30am & 5-7:30pm Mon-Sat, 7am-1pm & 5-7pm Sun), the cathedral that dominates Arequipa’s main plaza, is filled with doggedness. The original structure, dating from 1656, was gutted by fire in 1844. Consequently rebuilt, it was then promptly flattened by the earthquake of 1868. Most of what you see now has been rebuilt since then. An earthquake in 2001 toppled one enormous tower, and made the other slump precariously, yet by the end of the next year the cathedral looked as good as new once again.
The cathedral is the only one in Peru that stretches the length of a plaza. The interior is simple and airy, with a luminous quality, and the high vaults are uncluttered. It also has a distinctly international flair; it is one of less than 100 basilicas in the world entitled to display the Vatican flag, which is to the right of the altar. Both the altar and the 12 columns (symbolizing the 12 Apostles) are made of Italian marble. The huge Byzantine-style brass lamp hanging in front of the altar is from Spain and the pulpit was carved in France. In 1870, Belgium provided the impressive organ, said to be the largest in South America, though damage during shipping condemned the devout to wince at its distorted notes for more than a century.
Iglesia de la Compañía
Just off the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas, this Jesuit church (21-2141; admission free; 9am-12:30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 11:30am-12:30pm & 3-6pm Sat, 9am-noon & 5-6pm Sun), one of the oldest in Arequipa, is noted for its ornate main facade and main altar, which is carved in the churrigueresque style (an intricate decorative motif popular during the late Spanish baroque period) and completely covered in gold leaf. To the left of the altar is the San Ignacio chapel (admission S4), with a polychrome cupola smothered in junglelike murals of tropical flowers, fruit and birds, among which mingle warriors and angels.
Monasterio de la Recoleta
A short cab ride from the city center in a dicey neighborhood, this musty monastery (27-0966; La Recoleta 117; admission S5; 9am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Sat) was constructed on the west side of the Río Chili in 1648 by Franciscan friars, though now it has been completely rebuilt. Scholarship was an integral part of the Franciscans’ order, and bibliophiles will delight in the huge library, which contains more than 20,000 dusty books and maps; the oldest volume dates back to 1494. The library is open for supervised visits; just ask at the entrance. There is a well-known museum of Amazonian artifacts (including preserved jungle animals) collected by the missionaries, and an extensive collection of pre-Conquest artifacts and religious art of the escuela cuzqueña (Cuzco School). Guides who speak Spanish, English, French and Italian are available; a tip is expected.
Museo de Arte Virreinal de Santa Teresa
This gorgeous 17th-century Carmelite convent (28-1188; Melgar 303; admission S10; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) was only recently opened to the public as a living museum. 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