Description: While not as grand as the Convento de Santa Catalina, the Franciscan Monastery of La Recoleta is also well-worth a look. Situated west of the centre across the Rio Chili, it was founded in 1648, then rebuilt later that century after an earthquake had done its worst. To get there, take either the Puente Bolognesi or Puente Grau. The area surrounding the monastery is much more down-at-heel than the centre of town; arriving at 2:30, and finding that the monastery was only open between 9am and 1pm, and 3pm and 5pm, we retreated to the balcony of a bar on Avenida del Ejercito for a drink.
La Recoleta is smaller than Santa Catalina, and not quite as well maintained. Entry is roughly $1, and they ask you to leave your bags behind. There are no more than four small courtyards, but there are an odd collection of museum-type rooms leading off them. Here you will see the history of the monastery's missionary activities, detailing the missions founded out in the jungle by La Recoleta's monks. There are other rooms featuring stuffed creatures from said jungle, from giant anteaters and anacondas, down to hummingbirds and butterflies. Other rooms were devoted to the pre-colonial inhabitants of Peru, with examples of the work of the Nazca, Chavin, Inca, etc. While not extensive, I found that I got a better idea about the respective cultures than I had from the Museo Nacional in Lima.
The monastery also has a famous library upstairs, which is opened for fifteen minutes every hour. A long dark wooden chamber, it houses over 20,000 books, dating from 1494 to the present day - noticeably what seems to be a full print-run of The Economist of London! The library is divided into various sections - Philosophy, Astrology, Anatomy, etc.
If you have a spare hour, a wander around La Recoleta is a good way to spend it. The staff, which seems to be comprised of local students, appear genuinely pleased to see you and eager to help.
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