El Carmen Church
Jirón Ayacucho 764, Trujillo, North Coast, 13001
Stretched out over an entire block, the lovely El Carmen complex includes a church, a Carmelite convent and a museum that includes the most important collection of colonial art in Trujillo. Its white facade, punctuated with bright red trim is a colonial masterpiece, a fitting home for the baroque and rococo paintings inside.
The Basics
Constructed in 1724, El Carmen is a grand example of colonial aesthetics. Inside the centerpiece is a marvelous gilded altar created by Fernando Collado de la Cruz, and lining the walls are ethereal pastel murals. About ten cloistered nuns live in the convent next to the museum where over 150 original baroque and rococo paintings, many of which are from the Quito Art School of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Suitable for solo travelers, couples, families.
- Admission fee is about US$1 for adults.
- Be sure to wear appropriate clothing on a visit to the church.
- Travelers hoping to visit the Carmelite museum (Pinacoteca El Carmen) need to make an advance reservation and have a minimum of three visitors.
How to Get There
El Carmen Church is on Jirón Colón about four blocks from Plaza de Armas in Trujillo. The church is easily accessible by taxi, or by foot while touring the historical center of the city.
When to Get There
El Carmen Church is open year-round, Monday - Saturday, 9am - 1pm. Trujillo enjoys a subtropical desert climate, with a warm season (January to March), and a cooler season (June to November.). Trujillo International Spring Festival takes place late September. One of Peru’s largest and most popular festivals, with horse shows, fashion shows, dance contests, and floats of flowers and beauty contestants.
Museo de Arqueología
Down the street from El Carmen is a wonderful museum housed in a restored 17th-century mansion, featuring Peruvian history from 12,000 BC to modern times. THough the emphasis is on the Moche, Chimú and Inca civilizations, there are exhibits featuring the lesser-known lesser-known cultures, Cupisnique and Salinar. Lucky travelers will time a visit with one of the traditional dance performances the museum hosts in their beautiful garden courtyard.
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