Lima / Cusco / Machu Picchu / Inca Trail / Arequipa / Puno / Iquitos / Manu / Madre de Dios / Huaraz / Northern Highlands / Northern Coast

The colonial centre of Cusco and the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman were declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1983. And the centre of the city, with its mix of colonial and Inca architecture, is undoubtedly a very special place. Just wandering round the narrow streets, with Spanish palaces built on top of Inca walls, is a delight. There are very few original Inca buildings remaining in Cusco, as the Spanish used most of the stones in the construction of their churches. However, there are a number of walls remaining, the best of which are probably on Calle Loreto, just off the Plaza de Armas, which used to be the Acllahuasi, the Inca’s house of the chosen women, and Calle Hatunrumiyoc, towards San Blas, which contains the fine 12-angled stone. Nearby there are also some Inca stones with 13 and 14 angles, although these are not in original Inca walls. The precision with which stones are fitted together is amazing, and the trapezoidal design, with the walls tapering in as they get higher, ensures their strength in earthquakes. Many of the walls throughout the city that look as if they are Inca in origin were actually built after the Spanish conquest. The Spaniards, recognising the brilliance of the Inca stonework, used native stonemasons to build many of the walls of their palaces.

The best place to start a tour of the city is the busy Plaza de Armas (**). This pleasant square is in the same position as the main square of Inca Cusco, although it is only half the size, with the original square including what is now Plaza Regocijo. The Plaza de Armas is surrounded by many attractive colonial buildings, where there are now bars, restaurants and shops. However, it is the Cathedral and the Iglesia de La Compañía, which are the highlights of the square. The Cathedral (***) (Open Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-11.30am, daily 2pm-5.30pm. Entrance on Tourist Ticket), on the eastern side of the Plaza, and was begun in 1550. It is said to be built on the site of the Inca Viracocha’s palace. It is a fine church with a good collection of religious paintings, and it is worth taking a guided tour. The Cathedral is included in city tours offered by most travel agencies, which also include the four nearby ruins and the temple of Qorikancha. The Cathedral was under restoration from 1997 to 2002. Among the highlights in the Cathedral are the altar used in the procession of Corpus Christi, with an image of St James on a horse stamping on a sinner with remarkably Indian features. The base of the altar weighs 2 ½ tonnes, and is solid silver. The main altar in the Cathedral is highly baroque and is also solid silver, weighing 3 tonnes. One of the most famous images in the Cathedral is that of the Señor de los Temblores (Lord of the earthquakes). This image of Christ was said to have calmed the major earthquake of 1650, and every Easter Monday it is paraded through the streets of the city. The Señor de Los Temblores has dark skin, which many claim was to help the indigenous population identify with the Catholic faith. However, another version is that the Christ was originally white, but candle smoke has tainted the wood. The base of the image is often thought to be solid gold, although this is not true.

Among the best-known paintings in the Cathedral is an image of Christ on the Cross, which is often attributed to the Dutch painter Van Dyke. However, there is an identical painting in the Museum of Religious Art, and it is not known which is the original. Another famous painting that should not be missed is Marcos Zapata’s Last Supper. This shows Christ and the apostles dining on a typical Andean meal drinking chicha, a ceremonially important maize drink. It is generally said that the main course of the meal is guinea pig, a Peruvian speciality, although there are also claims that the meat is Viscacha, a type of Andean hare. The Cathedral also contains two exceptional communion holders made of gold and silver and inlaid with precious stones. The larger one measures 1.20m and the shorter one 40cm. Unfortunately, they are now under permanent lock and key and are not exhibited. The smaller holder can be seen during the festival of Corpus Christi. Another remarkable aspect of the Cathedral is the bell, María Angola, the largest in South America.

Joined to the Cathedral on the right-hand side is the church of El Triunfo. This is the oldest church in Cusco and was built to commemorate the victory (el triunfo) of the Spanish over the Incas. The church on the left-hand side of the Cathedral, which currently serves as the entrance to the Cathedral, is that of Jesus María. Next to the Jesus María is the old headquarters of the Inquisition, although there is little to see now.

The other fine church on the Plaza de Armas is that of La Compañía (**), built by the Jesuits on the site of Huayna Capac’s palace. It was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1650. The church has a fine interior with a beautiful baroque altar and many fine paintings. The church caused much controversy when being built, as the local priests felt that the design of the church was intended to outdo the Cathedral. They petitioned Madrid and even the Pope in Rome, who eventually agreed with them. However, by this time the church was almost finished and little could be done.

The Church of San Blas (***) (Plaza San Blas. Open Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-11.30am, daily 2pm-5.30pm. Entrance on Tourist Ticket) contains one of the most interesting attractions in the entire city – the famous carved wooden pulpit. This is a superb carving and contains much interesting imagery and it is worth taking a guide, available in the church, to explain this.  The church was built in the mid 16th century on the site of the Inca Temple of Thunder and Lightening, although the pulpit was not begun until 1680. The pulpit is often attributed to the work of a leper, although in reality it was probably the work of a team of about 15 people. The lead artist is unknown, however. It is also often said that the pulpit is carved from a single piece of wood, although close inspection of the work shows this to be false. The pulpit consists of many levels. The lowest level contains eight figures representing infamous heretics, including Calvin, Martin Luther, Henry XIII and Anne Boleyn. Above them are seven faces representing the seven deadly sins. Some beautiful angels and the figures of the writers of the four gospels and the Virgin Mary are above these. On top of the pulpit is the figure of St Paul, where a human skull is also visible. This is often thought to be that of the lead artist. There are two legends attributed to the skull: the first that upon finishing the carving of St Paul the artist fell to the floor of the church and died. The second, more sinister,, says that he was killed by a blow to the head to stop him making another similar work. The narrow streets to the north of the Church of San Blas are some of the most tranquil and beautiful in Cusco, and are well worth wandering round. The views from here are unparalleled.

There are many other fine churches in Cusco. The church and monastery of La Merced (**) (Calle Mantas, half a block from the Plaza, Open Mon-Sat 9am-12pm, 2pm-5pm. Entrance $1) has a fine interior, and the monastery contains a beautiful courtyard. The churches of Santa Teresa (the corner of Saphi and Siete Cuartones), Santa Clara (Calle Santa Clara) and San Francisco (Plaza San Francisco) are all worth visiting. The Convent of Santa Catalina (**) (Santa Catalina Ancha, Mon-Thur 9am-5.30pm, Fri, Sat 9am-4pm, entrance on Tourist Ticket) is a beautiful convent that has been converted into an art gallery containing a fine collection of Cusqueña school paintings. The Museum of Religious Art (**) (corner of calle Hatunrumiyoc and San Agustín. Open Mon-Sat 8am-11.30am, 3pm-5.30pm. Entrance on Tourist Ticket) is housed in the beautiful Archbishop’s Palace. The wooden ceilings are particularly impressive. The museum contains a good collection of Cusqueña school paintings.

There are several fine colonial houses in Cusco, some of which are now museums. The best are these are the Hotel Libertador, which is in the Casa de los Cuatro Bustos, and the colonial courtyard in the Novotel. The most splendid hotel conversion, however, is the Hotel Monasterio in the Convento de San Antonio de Abad. This beautiful convent and church has been wonderfully restored, and the hotel is worth looking round.

Information used with the kind permission of www.llamatravel.com - holidays to Peru from £799. © Llama Travel Ltd (UK).
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