Museum sights in Cajamarca
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A
El Complejo De Belén
This sprawling colonial complex was constructed entirely from volcanic rock between 1627 and 1774. In what used to be the women's hospital, there's now a small archaeology museum and an unimpressive art museum. Once run by nuns, 31 tiny, cell-like bedrooms line the walls of the T-shaped building.
The hospital's facade has a fascinating statue of a woman with four breasts. Carved by local artisans, it supposedly represents an affliction (supernumery nipples, that is) commonly found in one of the nearby towns.
The baroque church next door is one of Cajamarca's finest, with a prominent cupola and a well-carved pulpit. There are several interesting wood carvings, including an…
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B
Museo Arqueológico
The small university-run Museo Arqueológico is worth visiting; just knock on the door to enter. Its varied ceramics collection includes a few examples of pots from the Cajamarca culture and an unusual collection of ceremonial spears, also from the same period. The Cajamarca culture, which existed here before the Inca empire conquered the region, is little studied and relatively unknown.
The museum also has black-and-white photographs of historic and prehistoric sites in the Cajamarca area; its director is knowledgeable, and is willing to talk about the exhibits.
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C
Museo De Etnografía
This small, sparsely filled museum, just a few meters from El Complejo de Belén, has limited exhibits of local costumes and clothing, domestic and agricultural implements, musical instruments, and crafts made from wood, bone, leather and stone, as well as other examples of Cajamarca culture. Large-scale photographs and modern art interpretations illustrate traditional lives of the district's farmers.
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