Convento de Santo Domingo

Convento de Santo Domingo Review

The 16th-century Convent of Saint Dominic offers a glimpse of life in a cloister. This sprawling structure shows the different styles popular during the colonial era in Lima. The bell tower, for instance, has a baroque base built in 1632, but the upper parts rebuilt after an earthquake in 1746 are more rococo in style. The convent's two cloisters are decorated with hand-painted tiles imported from Spain in the early 17th century. The stately library holds 25,000 antiquarian books. If you visit between 1 and 3, you can ascend the bell tower for a view of the old city. The church is quite popular, as it holds the tombs of the first two Peruvian saints, Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres. Independent guides who wait by the entrance offer short tours for a negotiable fee.