My visit to St Catherine's continues

I next visited the study. Intellectual education was one of the essential elements of a nun's preparation. It included the study of the holy scriptures and theological writings.

One of the most surprising rooms in the monastery was the Chapter House, the meeting room for members of the religious community. Nuns often confessed their misdeeds at these meetings, and penance was imposed upon them. The Chapter House is highly decorated with murals attributed to Tadeo Escalante of the Cusco School in the late 18th century. The paintings are divided into three bands. The lower one has decorative geometrical designs, the middle one represents earthly pleasures, and the upper band has the figures of sainted hermits symbolising the triumph of spirit over sin and temptation through penitence and an ascetic life. The areas over the arches have angels and archangels symbolising glory through penance.

Upstairs, the first room you come to is the refectory where members of the religious community ate together. In the past, conversation was forbidden during meals. One of the sisters would read holy scriptures while the others ate.

There is also a room where examples of the nuns' embroidery work on liturgical vestments are on display.

The next room I visited was the novitiate, which was used until 1960. Here, young girls who had just entered the monastery would live with their teacher for a period of four to five years. Today, the novitiate lasts between seven and eight years. Newcomers had to bring with them their personal belongings, a bed, a set of sheets, linen, a table, a chair, a lavatory set, and contribute a dowry to the monastery. The novices cells are on the left side of the room, and their washing facilities are on the right.Read more