PLATEROS:
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
ORIGIN OF THE NAMES OF THE STREETS OF COLONIAL CUSCO
Friday, December 14, 2007
CUSCO CITY
CUSCO MAIN SQUARE:
It was known in inca times as "huacaypata", a quechua word meaning "place of weeping or meeting", it was an important ceremonial location in which the inti raymi of festival to the sun was held each year. with the arrival of the spaniars, the square was transformed; stone arcades and the buildings which surround it to this day were erected.
THE CATHEDRAL:
the cathedral was built in two stages: first to be built was the triunfo chapel, on top of what had been the suntur wasi (house of god) temple, then the cathedral itself was built on the palace of inca wiracocha. the facada of and interior are in the renaissance style with a wealth of carvings in ceder and alder. the choir and pulpit are particulary beautiful. the cathedral contains an important collection of paintings from the cusco school, as well as repousse silverwork.
NEIGHBOURHOOD OF SAN BLAS:
One of the most picturesque in cusco. called "toqokachi" or "salt hole", it is characterised by its steep narrow streets and beautiful colonial-style houses. it is known as the craftsmen's quarter.
CHURCH OF SAN BLAS:
Founded in 1560, during the colonial period, it has a baroque pulpit which is a masterpiece wood carving. it is attributed to indigenous artist diego quispe tito.
The original church was built in 1571 on land previously accupied by the amarucancha, the palace of inca huayna capac. after the 1650 earthquake it had to rebuild. its original outline and facade are examples of the andean baroque style.
on entering the church the first thing you see are the three-part main altar, the columns, the wooden pulpit and the numerous baroque, plateresque and churrigueresque retables.
SANTO DOMINGO/ KORICANCHA /CHURCH AND CONVENT:
koricancha, according to chroniclers, was one of cusco's most impressive building during the inca period; its inside walls were covered in gold as it was the main temple dedicated to the sun god around 1543, the spanish built a dominican convent and church and over the original structure; they were destroyed in an earthquake in 1565 and were rebuilt in around 1681.
ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE AND THE STONE OF TWUELVE ANGLES:
The palace is an arabesque building from the colonial period, built on the foundations of inca's palace. it is now the museum of religious art. in hatunrumiyoc street is an old inca wall that was part of inca roca's palace and is a superb example of inca stonework.
this structure contains the so-called "stone of twelve angles" famous for its perfect fit within the surrounding masonry.