Colegio de Propaganda Fide de Santa Rosa de Ocopa, Franciscan convent and missionary college in Santa Rosa de Ocopa District, Peru
The Colegio de Propaganda Fide de Santa Rosa de Ocopa is a Franciscan convent and missionary college built around several courtyards, including one featuring an ancient olive tree. The complex houses a library holding about 20,000 volumes and a natural history museum focused on Amazonian cultures.
Founded in 1725 by Friar Francisco Jiménez de San José, the convent became a base for missionaries exploring and converting remote Amazon territories. This institution supported the expansion of religious missions across the region during the colonial period.
The convent holds around 400 paintings from the Cusco, Ayacucho, and Quito schools, reflecting how colonial religious art was used to teach faith across different regions. These works show the visual language missionaries relied on to connect with local populations.
The convent is located around 6 kilometers from Concepción city and can be reached by car or on foot. Comfortable footwear is recommended as the courtyards and rooms involve stairs and some uneven surfaces.
The library contains a rare printed book from 1481, an edition of Diodorus Siculus' "Bibliothece Historise Libri" produced in Venice. This early printed work shows how the convent accumulated important knowledge sources from Europe over centuries.
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