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In Inkan times,
one of the most important buildings over the great
Qosqo's Main Plaza was the Aqllawasi (House of Chosen
Women, or Virgins of the Sun). It was something like
an Andean Monastery for noble women chosen among the
prettiest and most virtuous in the whole Quechua territory.
They were devoted to the cult of the Sun God; to the
preparation of its ceremonies; to the weaving of clothing
for the Inka and for different religious purposes. |
To the preparation of the "Sanqhu" (a ceremonial
bread equivalent of the host in Christianity); and to the
manufacture of "Aqha" or sacred "chicha"
(maize beer). Besides, those women who kept perpetual virginity,
also had to keep inside their monastery for the whole year
the Sacred Fire produced in the Inti Raymi. Those maidens
living in the Aqllawasi had two categories: the daughters
of noble blood Quechuas, considered as Sun's wives who had
higher status and those daughters of privileged nobles that
were considered as the Inka's wives. All of them were instructed
by and under the care of the "Mamakuna" who were
a sort of priestesses among the most skillful veterans in
domestic and ceremonial affairs. No man could see them, not
even the same Inka; just the "Qoya" (the Inka's
main wife) and her daughters could visit them. According to
the law, if any male had personal intimate relations with
a chosen woman, himself, his family, his neighbors and his
whole people were eliminated as well as their cattle, and
his town was covered with salt for having nursed such a bad
son. Garcilaso indicates about this rule that " This
was the law, but it was never carried out, because it was
never known that someone transgressed it... The Inkas never
promulgated laws for frightening their vassals neither for
transgressing them, but for executing and performing them
with those who dared breaking them.". The Aqllawasi building
covered a whole enormous block and was located where now is
the Church and Monastery of Dominican Nuns of Santa Catalina
and many other private buildings close to it.
It was Lucia Isabel Rivera de Padilla who in 1601 founded
in Qosqo City the Santa Catalina Monastery after having had
the bitter experience of having seen the monastery she had
founded in 1559 in Arequipa destroyed by eruption of the Waynaputina
Volcano. Subsequently, she built the ancient church which
as well as the monastery were destroyed by an earthquake in
1650. The present-time structure was begun one year later
being finished after 4 short years. The altarpieces that are
found in the church and monastery were carved by diverse local
craftsmen toward the second half of the XVII century. Besides,
there are very important pictorial works of Cusquenian School
made by anonymous artists. Inside the church there is a collection
made by Juan Espinoza de los Monteros representing Saint Catherine
of Siena's life and the Remedies Virgin in the Monastery Foundation.
Lorenzo Sanchez Mefecit, another Cusquenian painter made the
huge canvas of the Virgin's Assumption and another representing
Saint Catherine of Siena's Glorification. The church has also
a gilded cedar wood Major Altar with blended styles, on the
high central part is the statue of the "The Holy Heart
of Jesus Christ" and lower Saint Catherine and Saint
Dominic Guzman. Besides, there is a pulpit carved in cedar
wood and other four gilded minor altarpieces.
Nowadays, over here is a beautiful museum of colonial art
which possibly is the most complete in the city. By its entrance,
in the first room there are different canvases representing
the "Lord of Earthquakes", and some other different
paintings mostly anonymous. Further ahead in the passage,
is another collection representing the life and miracles of
Saint Rose of Lima. The lower choir shows diverse canvases
representing Saint Dominic Guzman's life painted by Juan Espinoza
de los Monteros and a collection of nine rich chasubles embroidered
with precious metal threads. The Scriptures Room is interesting
and contains murals all around it representing the religious
and virtuous life on the upper side, and lower the courtier
life; all painted by Tadeo Escalante. On the second floor,
there is an elaborate Nativity that becomes a trunk when folded.
The upper choir shows a rustic organ made in Qosqo and paintings
representing Saint Catherine's life.
