Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
companying interpretive information in Spanish and English explains this symbology in
detail and makes this museum a must for textile fans.
CHURCH
Templo y Convento de La Merced
( 23-1821; Mantas 121; admission S6; 8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat)
Cuzco's third
most important colonial church, La Merced was destroyed in the 1650 earthquake, but
was quickly rebuilt. To the left of the church, at the back of a small courtyard, is the en-
trance to the monastery and museum. Paintings based on the life of San Pedro Nolasco,
who founded the order of La Merced in Barcelona in 1218, hang on the walls of the beau-
tiful colonial cloister.
The church on the far side of the
cloister
( 8-11am)
contains the tombs of two of the
most famous conquistadors: Diego de Almagro and Gonzalo Pizarro (brother of Fran-
cisco). Also on the far side of the cloister is a small religious museum that houses vest-
ments rumored to have belonged to conquistador and friar Vicente de Valverde. The mu-
seum's most famous possession is a priceless solid-gold monstrance, 1.2m high and
covered with rubies, emeralds and no fewer than 1500 diamonds and 600 pearls. Ask to
see it if the display room is locked.
Museo Histórico Regional
( Calle Garcilaso at Heladeros; entry with boleto turístico; 8am-5pm Tue-Sun)
This
eclectic museum is housed in the colonial Casa Garcilaso de la Vega, the house of the
Inca-Spanish chronicler who now lies buried in the cathedral. The chronologically ar-
ranged collection begins with arrowheads from the Preceramic Period and continues with
ceramics and jewelry of the Wari, Pukara and Inca cultures.
There is also a Nazca mummy, a few Inca weavings, some small gold ornaments and a
strangely sinister scale model of the Plaza de Armas. A big, helpful chart in the courtyard
outlines the timeline and characters of the
escuela cuzqueña
.
MUSEUM
Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo
( Plaza Regocijo; entry with boleto turístico; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat)
The small collection
of contemporary Andean art on display at this museum in the municipality building is
really one for the fans. Museo Quijote has a much better collection, putting a representat-
MUSEUM
