Cuzco & Machu Picchu - Discover Peru: Experience the Best of Peru - page 367

Central Cuzco

PLAZA DE ARMAS
In Inca times, the plaza - called Huacaypata or Aucaypata - was the heart of the capital.
Today it remains the nerve center of the modern city. Two flags usually fly here - the red-
and-white Peruvian flag and the rainbow-checkered flag of Tahuantinsuyo, representing
the four quarters of the Inca empire. (Many foreigners mistake it for the gay-pride ban-
ner.)
Colonial arcades surround the plaza, which in ancient times was twice as large (encom-
passing the Plaza Regocijo to the south). On the plaza's northeastern side is the imposing
cathedral, flanked by the churches of Jesús María and El Triunfo. On the southeastern side
is the ornate Jesuit church of La Compañía de Jesús. The quiet pedestrian alleyway of
Loreto, which has Inca walls, is a historic means of access to the plaza.

| Plaza

LA CATEDRAL
Offline map Google map
(Plaza de Armas; admission S25 or with boleto religioso; 10am-5:45pm) A squatter on the site of
Viracocha Inca's palace, the cathedral was built starting in 1559 with blocks pilfered from
nearby Sacsaywamán. It is joined by Iglesia del Triunfo Offline map Google map (1536) to
its right and Iglesia de Jesús María Offline map Google map (1733) to the left. El Triunfo,
Cuzco's oldest church, houses a vault containing the remains of renowned Inca chronicler
Garcilaso de la Vega.
The cathedral is one of the city's great repositories of colonial art, especially for works
from the escuela cuzqueña , a style that combined European devotional painting styles
with the earthy color palette and iconography of indigenous Andean art. One of the most
famous paintings here is the Last Supper by Quechua artist Marcos Zapata, in the north-
east corner of the cathedral, which depicts Christ and the disciples feasting on cuy (guinea
pig).
Also look for the oldest surviving painting in Cuzco, showing the entire city during
the great earthquake of 1650. The inhabitants can be seen parading around the plaza with
a crucifix, praying for the earthquake to stop. This precious crucifix, called El Señor de
los Temblores (The Lord of the Earthquakes), can still be seen in the alcove to the right of
the door leading into El Triunfo.
Other worthwhile points include the sacristy , which is covered with paintings of
Cuzco's bishops, the wooden altar (behind the present silver altar) and the magnificently
carved choir , dating from the 17th century.

| Church