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Published: September 10th 2022
Around Cusco
Inca foundations.After the delicious buffet style breakfast offered by the hotel, we set out to explore the nearby Plaza Mayor of Cusco.
At an elevation of 11,200 feet, most of the streets seem to involve climbing to some extent which I had deemed my enemy, but I absolutely loved the look and feel of the ones that seemed no more than narrow alleyways, mostly ending in small plazas surrounded by colonial architecture.
The city was the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century until 1532. In 1983, Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by The Constitution of Peru. Many believe that the city was planned in the shape of a puma, a sacred animal.
Buildings constructed after the Spanish invasion often have a mixture of Spanish influence and Inca indigenous architecture. The Spanish destroyed many Inca buildings, temples and palaces and used the remaining walls as bases for the construction of a new city, and this stone masonry is still visible.
The
Plaza de Armas of Cusco is the main public space of the town since before its Spanish foundation in 1534. It was the
place where all kinds of ceremonies were held and the victories of the Inca army were celebrated. After the Spanish conquest, it was transformed into a
plaza by the new rulers, who built Catholic temples and mansions on the ruins of the ancient Inca palaces. In this square were executed several heroes of the Independence of Peru.
Today the plaza is the central core of modern Cusco, surrounded by tourist restaurants, jewelry stores, travel agencies, and the Catholic churches built during the colonial period.
We explored some of the alley-like streets for a while, stopping at the Inca Museum just off the Plaza. It's a traditional colonial style building, with an extensive exhibit of pottery and other artifacts from several different eras from pre-Incan to Colonial times.
Eventually, we made our way back to the Plaza, and decided to cool off at one of the many cafes. A narrow passage opened onto a small courtyard with several offices offering tours, an old rickety stairway and we arrived at The Cappuccino Café, a quaint establishment with delicious looking pastries and multiple kinds of coffees. Too hot for a coffee, I settled for a coke while enjoying the cool
breeze coming through the doors that opened onto the small balcony.
The afternoon was dedicated to visiting two results of the intentional desecration of Inca religious architecture, the Convent of Santo Domingo and the
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin. Coricancha (
The Golden Temple) was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. The walls were once covered in sheets of gold. When the Spanish in 1533 required the Inca to raise a ransom in gold for the life of their leader Atahualpa, most of the gold was collected from Coricancha.
The Spanish colonists built the Convent of Santo Domingo on the site, demolishing the temple and using its foundations. They also used parts of the building for other churches and residences. This is one of numerous sites where the Spanish incorporated Inca stonework into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls still stand.
To me, looking at some of the remaining walls and doors was reminiscent of some of the oldest buildings in Egypt. The façade of the mortuary temple complex in Saqqara had similar blocks.
Around Cusco
Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus. Next on the schedule was the Cathedral.
The Catedral Basílica de la Virgen de la Asunción is the main catholic church of Cusco. The cathedral is located on the Plaza de Armas. The entire building was built shaped like a Latin cross between 1560-1654.
The Incas built the temple known as
Kiswarkancha on the main square in Cusco. It was the Inca palace of Viracocha. When the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Cuzco, they decided to take down the temple and build their Christian cathedral in that prominent site. The location of Viracocha's palace was chosen for the purpose of removing the Inca religion from Cusco, and replacing it with Spanish Catholic Christianity.
Most of the stones from the building were taken from Sacsayhuaman. Just as the temple of Viracocha was removed and the holy stones of Sacsayhuamán were employed to build the cathedral, once the Spaniards learned that the very sand spread on Cusco's main plaza was considered sacred, they removed it and employed it in the cathedral's mortar.
It's not permitted to take photos of most of the interior of the church but, suffice to say, that the altars and shrines inside display as
much opulence as the Coricancha may have once upon a time. There is a considerable amount of artwork in the cathedral, much of which originated from the Escuela Cuzquena. This was a school that was built by the Spaniards to train the Incas descendants in the European Renaissance style artwork.
Adjacent and joined to the cathedral is the smaller
Iglesia del Triunfo, the first Christian church to be built in Cusco. The Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, also on the Plaza de Armas, was built at a similar time as the cathedral.
I guess it took three churches side by side on the site of the old temple to subdue the Inca population's belief.
That evening, we were treated to a home cooked meal hosted by a family in Cusco. I was apprehensive, not on their account but because of being a picky eater and worrying about being served something I would have trouble eating, but the meal was a Quinoa soup (Quinoa is ever present and prevalent on the local dishes) and a traditional chicken stew.
It was a pleasant evening, experiencing a typical meal with a typical
family was a nice experience.
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