My visit to Santa Catalina continues

The next point of interest on the tour was the novice cloister, where novice nuns experienced religious life before making their vows. All nun candidates had to give a dowry to the convent, as well as a sum of 100 pesos to pay for their food during their novitiate year. They also had to bring with them a trousseau composed of 25 items, including 2 habits, a cape, 2 canvas tunics, 2 doublets, 2 pairs of cork clogs, 2 headdresses, a wooden bedstead, a bed canopy, 2 mattresses, 4 sheets, 2 pillows, 2 blankets, a quilt, a rug, a cushion, a small table, a chair, a box, a small chest, a font, a chamberpot, a candlestick, a bench, 4 pairs of boots, and 10 bolts of woollen cloth.

I then walked through to the Cloister of the Orange Trees. Off this cloister are the cells belonging to professed nuns. All of the cells have the same elements - an altar, a closet, and an arch that usually houses the nun's bed. Many of the cells also have ovens made of mud. The nuns of Santa Catalina have always been very famous for their baked goods - pastries, buns, cakes, biscuits, etc.Læs mere