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Programs in Cusco
CITY TOUR
 1.
The Cathedral
Built between 1560 and 1664 out of large slabs
of red granite taken from the Inca fortress of
Sacsayhuaman, the Cathedral is one of the most
imposing structures in the city. Its façade,
built in Renaissance style, contrasts with the
Baroque and silver of its lavish interior. It
also houses one of the most important
collections of gold and silver work of the
colonial period, elaborately engraved wooden
altars and a beautiful collection of oil on
canvas paintings from the Escuela Cusqueña. On
either side of the slabs of red granite are two
small auxiliary chapels. One of these, the Del
Triunfo church, in fact Cusco's first Cathedral,
was built in 1539 on top of the palace of Inca
Wiracocha.
 2.-
Koricancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo
The convent was built on the spectacular
Koricancha ("site of gold"), the most important
temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun and
whose walls were plated with sheets of gold. The
convent was built on a foundation of smoothened
stone structures -the most finely crafted in
Cusco- taken from the Inca sanctuary. The façade
of the convent is an excellent example of
Renaissance art and its distinctive spire, built
in Baroque style, stands out over the thatched
roofs of the Cusco skyline. Like the two
churches mentioned above, it houses an
impressive collection of canvas paintings from
the Escuela Cusqueña.
 3.
Sacsayhuaman
An imposing example of Inca military
architecture, the fortress of Sacsayhuaman was
built using large slabs of granite to safeguard
the city from attack by Antis, or invading
forces from the East. Sacsayhuaman ("satisfied
falcon" in Quechua) is made up of three large
terraces which overlap in a zigzag formation
surrounded by enormous stone ramparts of up to
300 meters in length. Its elevation and
proximity to Cusco, as well as the dimensions of
the stones -up to 5 meters high and weighing up
to 350 tons-¬made Sacsayhuaman a quarry for
certain structures in colonial Cusco.
4. Kenko and 5.Puca Pucara
Kenko is a ritual site built on a sole
outcrop of limestone, with underground galleries
and a semicircular amphitheater. Puca Pucara (in
Quechua, "red fortress"), was a military
installation made up of stairways, terraces and
large walls which once formed part of the
capital's defense system. Both structures are
part of the archaeological circuit near the city
of Cusco.
6.TAMBOMACHAY.-
Also known as the "Baños del Inca" or the
Inca baths, Tampumachay was apparently a site
dedicated to the worship of water and a resting
place for the Inca monarch. Among its most
notable features are its system of aqueducts,
canals and cascades carved in stone, designed to
channel water flowing from a nearby spring.
According to experts, Tampumachay was also a
kind of royal garden, abounding in ornamental
vegetation and fed by an intricate network of
canals.
WHAT´S INCLUDED
Transport
Guide: Spanish, English, Portuguess
Ticket to the Cathedral
Ticket to the Corikancha
Turist Ticket |
