Arequipa

Arequipa stands in the valley of the Chili River beneath the volcanoes of the southern Peruvian Andes. Its streets and churches are built largely of pale volcanic stone called sillar, giving the city its distinctive appearance. The fertile valley had long been cultivated by Indigenous communities before the Spanish founded their town in 1540.

The colonial city grew around its main square as a center connecting the Pacific coast with the Andean interior. Religious houses occupied extensive compounds, while merchants and farmers supplied the growing population. The monastery of Santa Catalina was founded in 1579 with the support of María de Guzmán and the authorization of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo. Behind its walls, cloisters, cells and courtyards gradually formed a city within the city. Builders combined European forms with local materials and craftsmanship: massive walls, arches and vaulted roofs supported richly carved façades.

Earthquakes and the eruption of Huaynaputina in 1600 damaged the city, demanding repeated reconstruction. After the earthquake of 1582, builders increasingly used sillar, a relatively light and workable stone, for structures as well as doorways. Native masons contributed to the intricate decoration of the Baroque façades that followed. Arequipa remained an important city of southern Peru through the final years of Spanish rule and the emergence of the republic. Its stone architecture and irrigated surroundings bear witness to a history shaped by both the volcanic landscape and the people who made a home in its valley.