Cusco city is located in the Valley of Huatanay River, in the south-eastern Andes of Peru, 3400 meters above sea level and in the south-western area of Peru. Cusco was called in Quechua (the language of the Inca) the “World´s navel” as it was their Capital and centre of their World. Cusco’s history goes back approximately to the year 1200 B.C., although it´s most glorious time was in the XV century at the height of the Inca Empire under the Inca Pachacutec.
Panoramic view of Cusco
It is kown as the archeological capital of South America, and amazes for its beauty and unique personality where the pst and present co-exist harmoniously.
Cusco is famous for its huge Inca walls, made of precisely fitted and polished rocks, into the joins of which it is impossible to insert a piece of paper, these are amazingly distinctive. These survived the Spanish simply because they were to huge to remove.
Avenue Cusco
An example of the fusion of two cultures is the Santo Domingo Church, which is built over Coricancha, the old Inca Sun Temple. This Catholic Chuch has integrated into its Architecture the original Inca stones of the most important Sun Temple in the whole of the ancient Inca Empire, a fascinating fusion of styles and history.
Belen - Church :: in Belen Avenue
Cusco has many special places to visit, where one might appreciate most the beauty of its colonial style: the attractive Main Square (Plaza de Armas), from where you can see the majestic view of the 2 Cathedrals around the square; the cloisters of Santo Domingo church, with their impressive masterpieces of the XVII century, the majestic church of The Company of Jesus, recognized as a firrst rate example of the American Baroque (XVII century) style; the San Blas Church with its chorus armchairs and monumental pulpit carved in wood up to 9 meters high, very distinctive of the National Baroque style.
Cusco is also important because it is the starting point for your visit to the Inca City of Macchu Picchu, which is only 4 hours away by train or 4 days hiking by the World famous Inca Trail, one of the top 10 hikes in the World. |
The first Cusco Cathedral was built in 1539 at the Suntur Wasi, current Iglesia del Triunfo, but in 1560 there was an order to build a new cathedral on the Kiswir Kancha lot, palace of Inca Wiracocha. The design is constituted by a latin-cross base, the façade has a Renaissance style, very ornamental, and it contains the best manifestations of colonial goldsmith and wood carving, as well as a valuable collection of canvases from the Escuela Cusqueña (Academy of Cusco). There are two auxiliary chapels on its both sides: Capilla del Triunfo of Jesus, Maria and Jose.