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Cusco's Cathedral (Photo:
J.L. Tord) |
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La
Compañía Church (Photo: J.L. Tord) |
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Stone
of the 12 angles (Photo: G. Biffulco) |
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San Blas street (Photo:
PromPerú) |
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Santo Domingo Church -
Coricancha (Photo: J.L. Tord) |
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Inca wall in street
of Cusco (Photo: J.L. Tord) |
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Paqcha (Photo:
PromPerú) |
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Inca wall in street
of Cusco (Photo: J.L. Tord) |
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Native with typical
dress (Photo: G. Biffulco) |
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Natives with typical
dress (Photo: J.L. Tord) |
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Cusco Travel
Guide > Historical Center of Cusco City |
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Historical
Center of Cusco |
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"World Heritage Site" by
UNESCO
To go over the historical center of
Cusco,
is walking by the city that was traced and designed by
the Incas,
it is like going for a walk by colonial buildings built
on the base of the old real palaces of the Incas, is the
coalition of two architectural styles that make it
unique in the world, it is the opportunity to appreciate
architectural and art jewels that contain their
centennial or millennial walls.
There are several alternative circuits that can be
made walking when visiting all these marvelous places
that are signaled in the streets.
Plaza de Armas (Main Square)
Occupies the same
place that the plaza Huacaypata (Quechua language,
groan, lament) that was traced by Manco
Cápac when founding the city of Cusco during the XII
century, around it the Inca kings Pachacútec, Sinchi
Roca, Viracocha, Túpac Yupanqui and Huayna Cápac built
their royal palaces, and the Acllahuasi (Temple of the
Virgins). It was the place where the
Inti
Raymi took place in time of the Incas and the
military celebrations after the victory in battles.
Since the arrival of the Spaniards, the dimensions were
diminished because of the areas around constructed that
still remain such as the Cathedral, "Iglesia de la
Compañía" (Church of the Company), the portals, arcades
and large houses.
"Basílica Catedral" (Basilica
Cathedral)
Catholic temple, built where the
Inca Viracocha had his real palace,
built in 1560 by the Spanish architect Juan Veramendi
and then by master Juan Correa. It is a jewel of the
colonial architecture, of Baroque style, with 10
chapels, where "El Señor de los
Temblores" (The Lord of the Earthquakes) is
venerated, patron of Cusco. The biggest altar is
recovered with pure silver sheets, the choir is carved
and in front of the altar there is a seat in double
array that is a masterpiece in wood. Plateresque pulpit,
painting collection with more than 400 canvases. The
custody is an impressive goldsmith masterpiece, made of
solid gold of 27.7 Kg that measures 120 cm.
height, with incursions of 331 pearls, 263 diamonds, 221
emeralds, 89 amethysts, 43 topazes, 17 brilliant, 5
sapphires and 1 agate. The bell of the tower of the
Gospel, called María Angola was fused
in brass and gold, and its toll is listened up to 40 Km
of distance. Located in front of the Plaza de Armas.
"La Compañía" (Church of
the Company) (Admission free)
Jesuit colonial temple, built on the
real palace Amarucancha of Huayna Cápac
in 1571, is one of the most beautiful of Cusco, it
possesses a central nave with 6 lateral underground
chapels, around it labyrinths and secret passages, in
which remarkable characters of the conquest and Spanish
colony were buried. The temple is adorned with big
canvases and sculptures carved in wood. It was
reconstructed in 1651; located in front of the Plaza de
Armas.
"La Merced"
(1536) It was the third founded in
Peru, it is a colonial architectural monument, of
beautiful golden altarpieces, plateresque pulpit and a
choir that constitutes a joinery masterpiece. The temple
is adorned with beautiful canvases of
Escuela
Cusqueña. Their most valuable treasure is the
custody, of unimaginable value; goldsmith piece made of
gold, weight 22 kg. and it measures 1.3 meters height,
which contains 2 enormous pearls and 615 of smaller
size, 1,581 diamonds, besides emeralds, rubies and
topazes. In the basements of the church rest remains of
the Spanish conquerors Diego de Almagro, Almagro El Mozo
(Almagro the Youngster), and Gonzalo Pizarro. Located in
Mantas Street, very near the Main Square.
"Convento e Iglesia de Santa
Catalina" (Convent and Church of Santa
Catalina)
The current convent was reconstructed in
1653 and the church dates of 1669. Built where the
Acllahuasi was located. It possesses a museum; located
in the corner of the streets Santa Catalina Angosta and
Loreto.
The Acllahuasi (Quechua
language: House of the
chosen ones), or "Templo de las Vírgenes" (Temple of the
Virgins): Was the Inca place in which the acllas (women
chosen by their lineage and beauty, offered as eternal
wifes of the god Inti - the sun) lived perpetually. In
this temple the Coya (queen),
Ñustas (princesses) and the
Inca king could only enter; between 500
and 1000 acllas lived there permanently.
"Monasterio de San Antonio Abad"
(Monastery San Antonio de Abad)
Built in the XVII
century, has a beautiful chapel with altar decorated
with gold sheets, and valuable objects of colonial art.
Actually a hotel is located here. Located at Palacio
Street No. 136, in front of the little plaza of the
Nazarenas.
Coricancha, (Quechua language: gold
enclosure)
It was the main Inca temple, the Temple of
Inti (the supreme god - the sun), it is a masterpiece of
the Inca
architecture, built in blocks of carved granite and
smelted gold in the junctures of the blocks. Inside the
temple existed a garden in which the trees, birds,
animals, etc. were represented in gold. The temple was
surrounded with a gold cornice and all the walls covered
in gold plates. In the sanctuary a great disk of gold
existed (Punchau) that represented Inti, the mummies of
the Inca kings until Huayna Cápac (12th king), they were
seated on gold seats and adorned with jewels, with the
expression of being alive.
Annexes to the Coricancha, were the temples of
"Quilla" (moon),
Illapa
(ray), the stars, Chuychu and Uíllac Umu's
lodgings (supreme priest). At the arrival of the Spanish
conquerors it was plundered savagely and it was almost
destroyed to banish the adoration to Inti, and over it a
catholic temple (Santo Domingo) was
built.
All the Inca roads of the Tahuantisuyo
converged in the Koricancha, besides being the central
point of the administrative division of the empire, and
where the four "suyos" began and converged.
Archaeological museum located on Santo Domingo Street,
in front of the little plaza Santo Domingo.
"Iglesia de San Blas" (Church of San
Blas)
Colonial Catholic temple, built in 1562, has a
pulpit that constitutes a wooden carved
jewel of incalculable value in which are represented
saints' images and angels, Juan Tuirupata, Luis Montes
and Diego of Aryan dispute the creation. Outstanding the
altarpiece of the biggest altar, the paintings and
canvases that adorn it.
This temple is located in San Blas's neighborhood, of
narrow and high streets, beautiful little plaza, and a
beautiful paqcha exists; in this district numerous
artists and artisans reside, there are located the
workshops of famous artisans such as the family
Mendivil, Olave and Mérida.
Palacio Arzobispal
Beautiful
colonial building, in which highlights the front and
balconies. Where the Museum of Religious Art is located,
exhibition of religious art pieces of the colonial time.
Located on Herrajes Street.
Built on the real palace of the Inca Sinchi
Roca. In one of the megalithic walls, in the
lateral side, on Hatun Rumiyoc Street, is located the
famous "stone of the 12 angles", cut
and carved stone block that has 12 vertexes assembled in
perfect form, not being able to enter a knife leaf among
its junctures.
"Casa del Inca Garcilaso de la Vega"
(House of the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega)
Headquarters
of the Regional Historical Museum of Cusco since 1984,
exhibition of pictorial works of the
Escuela
Cusqueña. Inca Garcilaso (1539-1616) was the Spanish
conqueror's son Sebastián Garcilaso de la Vega and a
royal Inca princess, the Palla Isabel Chimpu Ocllo. He
was a columnist of the Spanish conquest, the first
writer in America; author of "Comentarios Reales de los
Incas" (The Real Comments of the Incas), his work is the
tearing testimony, exploitation of misfortunes of his
homeland, personal conflicts and the narration and
exaltation of the Tahuantisuyo, and aching justification
of the Spanish conquest. During his childhood he lived
in this house, reliquary of the colonial beautifully
restored art. Located in the corner of the streets
Garcilaso and Heladeros.
"Casa del Almirante" (House of the
Admiral)
(S. XVII): It belonged to Admiral Francisco
Aldrete Maldonado, old colonial house with stone facade
that shows the coat-of-arms, has a very beautiful
ceiling decorated with carved panels. Headquarters of
the Archaeological Museum of the National University San
Antonio de Abad, exhibits archaeological pieces of the
Inca culture and objects and furniture of the colonial
time. Located on Almirante Street Nº 103.
"Casa de los Cuatro Bustos" (the
Four Busts)
Beautiful colonial large house that
belonged to the Pizarro brothers, Spanish conquerors. On
its cover it shows four busts and a shield. At the
moment a hotel is located here. Located on San Agustín
Street Nº 400.
Inside the historical Center it is also recommended
the visit of the colonial large houses of the Marquises
San Juan de Buenavista y Rocafuerte, house of the Counts
of Cabrera, house Concha, house of the Counts of
Peralta, house of the Marquis of Picoaga, house of the
Marquises of Valleumbroso.
"Monumento al Inca Pachacútec"
(Monument to the Inca Pachacutec)
Built in
honor of one of the biggest Incas in the Tahuantisuyo,
statesman and great conqueror.
"Paqchas"
Built in the last
years, likeness of those that existed in the Inca City
of Cusco. They are sources or spouts of water, where the
water was venerated. The most important are Pumaqchupan
(corner of El Sol and Tullumayo Streets), Pumacpampa
(Santa Catalina Street) and San Blas's neighborhood.
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