The Qorikancha is defined by the stark contrast of two architectural worlds: the smooth, dark, mortarless ashlar masonry of the Inca Empire supporting the ornate, light-colored stone of the Spanish Convent of Santo Domingo. Originally…
History of Cusco
This walk traces Cusco's dramatic transition from the majestic capital of the Inca Empire to a Spanish colonial city. We explore how monumental Inca temples and palaces were physical foundations for colonial architecture, leaving behind a fascinating layered history.
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1. Qorikancha
2. Church of the Society of Jesus
The Church of the Society of Jesus dominates the Plaza de Armas with an ornate, symmetric façade carved from andesite stone. It stands directly upon the foundations of Amarucancha, the palace once belonging to the Inca ruler Huayna Capac.…
3. Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas is a vast, open public square ringed by stone arcades and grand colonial facades, situated at an altitude of over eleven thousand feet. Long before Spanish rule, this space was known as Huacaypata, the ceremonial and…
4. Cusco Cathedral
The Cusco Cathedral, or the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, is defined by its massive, rugged masonry constructed from giant andesite blocks taken from the ancient Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán. This monumental site…
5. Calle Hatunrumiyoc
Calle Hatunrumiyoc is a narrow, pedestrian cobblestone street in the heart of Cusco, defined by a long, impeccably preserved Inca wall made of massive, interlocking stones. This wall once belonged to the palace of Inca Roca, the sixth…
6. Saqsaywaman
The most striking feature of Saqsaywaman is the series of massive, zigzagging stone walls that climb the hillside overlooking Cusco. These walls consist of immense polygonal boulders, some weighing over one hundred tons, fitted together…