Cusco has been called the archaeological capital of
the America’s as nowhere else on this continent can boast such a collection of
well preserved ruins of a great civilization that are easily accessible. But
Cusco is also a city riddled with contrast between native styles and the
western world, historic and modern architecture that have lent the city a rare
beauty. Most visitor who set foot in Cusco are keener to get to the citadel of
Machu Picchu, a four-hour tour train ride away, but Cusco, as a city in itself
is teeming with interesting spots to see. The first thing that stand out about
this pre-Hispanic capital are its Inca walls, those enormous stones which were
doe-tailed into a perfect fit, on top of which the conquerors built a new Spanish
city. Early chroniclers did not exaggerate when they showed their admiration o the
size of these temples and palace, as the wave of earthquakes that hit the city
toppled the Spanish colonial architecture but left the Inca stonework intact.
Over the course of time, researchers found that the
inclination of the stonework, witch slopes inwards, and the Inca’s fondness for
trapezoidal door and windows were not a just a whim of decoration, but rather
were features of antiseismic architecture, which matched the way the granite
clocks were carved.
Today, what is particularly fascinating is the fusion
between the indigenous base and later European art, an extraordinarily
harmonious blend which sit eh root of the unique beauty of Cusco. This can be
most clearly seen in the religious buildings, above all the church of Santo
Domingo which was built on top of Qoricancha, the ancient temple of the
Sun. The site features a dramatic counterpoint
between the lightweight Spanish construction and the somber granite block so
venerated by the Inca five centuries ago.
Located at an altitude of 3,360 meters above sea
level, Cusco was built in the Urubamba valley in the south Easter Peruvian
Andes and called the Navel of the Word, by the Quechua tribes. The city has a
long and rich history which according to some historians dates back to 1200 AD
and linked Inca ruler Manco Capac.
However, Cusco saw its halcyon days in the fifteenth century under de rule
of emperor Pachacutec, who led an expansion drive that extended the Inca empire
as far South as Chile and Argentina and Ecuador and Colombia to the north. The
rapid spread of the empire was halted only by the arrival of Spanish conqueror
Francisco Pizarro, who in 1534 added Cusco definitively to the realms of King
Charles V. the invasion opened the ways to a cultural mix that left its imprint
on every aspect of Peruvian culture, as especially in the ancient Andean
capital.
The best-treasured
jewels
The traveler arriving in Cusco will find there are key
sites to be visited. The main square, the Plaza de Armas is the obligatory
starting point, and a particularly attractive spot as it is surrounded, like a
traditional retablo folk scene, by traditional neighborhoods, which stud the
rolling hills above. The magnificent view is heightened by the looming shapes
of the church of La Compañía
and the cathedral. Here, in the early hours, one can hear the chimes of the
Maria Angola, the famous church bell minted from an alloy that included gold
and silver.
The sour carries on to the cloisters of Santo Domingo,
slapped don to pot the pagan wall of the Qoricancha. The church boast a superb collection
of 31 oil paintings by seventeenth-century artist José Espinosa. The so-called
Cusco School of painting had a fundamental influence on colonial art, and the
most important churches housed painting by such well-known artist as Bernardo
Bitti (sixteenth century) and Diego Quispe Tito (seventeenth century).
Sculpting as an art form took off in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries, with its finest expression visible in altar and choir
stalls. The most impressive piece of woodcarving is the pulpit in the church of
San Blas. A work nearly 9
meter high and finely carved out of cedar. The pulpit is
famous not just, because it is the maximum exponent o baroque art in Peru. But
also because of the legend that have been spun around its creator. It is said
the pulpit was carved by Esteban Orcacitas, a leper who after having been
granted a miracle, paid tribute by dedicating his life to the intricate design.
STREET NAMES
Of curse, Cusco is not just home to stirring monument
and works of art. The beauty of this city is that it is a stroller’s dream. Just
taking walk through the artist quarter of San Blas will conjure up the lost pleasure
of wandering around a town no particular direction, of looking at people,
imagining mysterious event in times long gone. The twisting street of old Cusco
are redolent with images of the old Spanish Vice-regency, and even before, the cyclopean
age to the Inca Empire.
But after a few days of wandering around the city, one
begins to realize that these street bear names that are unexpected to say the
least. From the streets called Afligidos (afflicted), the stroller may carry on
through Desesperados (desperate) and later Crimen (crime). The street names get
even odder, running from Cadenas (chains)= up the Cuesta de Amargura (hill of bitterness) crossing through Huacay
Puncu (the weeping gate) before ending up in the street called Ataud (coffin)
and finally a narrow street which is Purgario (Purgatory).
But just as the visitor is growing convinced that the
Cuzco inhabitants of old were marked by tragic lives, a stroll will lead to
another street called Encuentro (Encounter), before things get a little cozier
up a narrow, bustling alley called Abracitos (Hugs). Minutes later, one can sit on a bench in the
famous Plaza Regocijo (the Rejoicing Square), before setting off in search of
the Cuesta del Alabado (the Hill of the Praised One).
Of course, not all streetnames are evidence of a
highly contrasting temperament. There
are others with oddly evocative names like Siete Culebras (Seven Snakes) or the
Cuesta del Almirante (the Admiral's Hill).
But one shouldn't get the impression that the good people of Cuzco are
overly serious. just check out the street called Mira Calcetas (Looking at
Stockings), which according to chronicler Angel Carreño was so-called because,
as the historian once wrote, the person who climbs up this hill does not just
see the stockings of the less fairer of the sexes, but also the thighs of the
daughters of Eve.
Of course, there are also streets with less
picturesque names, which for some reason or another are an indispensable
reference for visitors. Such is the case
of Procuradores, which is well-known for its reputation as being the meeting
point for the varied alternative characters that cluster in Cuzco, including
artisans, bricheros (the Andean equivalent of a Latin Lover) and the last
surviving hippies. Cuzco today has
become curiously cosmopolitan in that respect.
CUZCO BY NIGHT
Nothing could surprise the visitor more to find that
this old city, held by many to become the cultural frontier of the western
world, transforms at night into one of the noisiest and most festive spots
around. Near the Plaza de Armas, the
second floor of many of the old colonial mansions have been rustically adapted into
pubs, bars and discos to provide visitors with some wild nightlife.
These joints feature everything from the best of
Andean melodies to blasting contemporary rock.
And these odd combinations don't just crop up in the music. in spots
like the Ukukus, Kamikaze and the Up-Down, people flock here from all over the
world and of all ages, coming together in a multi-lingual camaraderie. Rosy Danish maidens clad in ripped blue jeans
can often be spotted dancing the night away with long-haired individuals
claiming to be the last true descendant of the Incas. It is not rare to find that tourists who came
for a few days are seduced by the idea of escaping the outside world and
settling down for a few months in an old house to enjoy the never-ending party
of Cuzco nights.
MORE ABOUT CUSCO
Colours, friendship, pleasure and a great diversity of
customs and traditions, handicrafts and folklore dances. Cusco is one of the
most important cities of the region.
The neuralgic centre of the Inca Empire, with its
magnificent temples, Cusco offers beautiful landscapes and an approach to the
old Inca culture. Cusco is not only its ruins; it is also its people and their
customs, this strange but very interesting mixture of the old Europe and the
new continent.
Cusco is and will always be a Capital of culture.
Cusco is history, tradition and reality: a tourist destination that can't be
missed by those who love history.
Cusco, mythical capital of the Inca Empire, not only
proudly preserves the remaining stonewalls from this lost culture, it also
keeps intact many structures built during the Spanish colony, that evoke the
greatness of the Children of the Sun and the Spanish influence after the
conquest.
Churches, convents and monasteries were raised on top
of the temples formerly built to the Inca divinities.
Cusco and its surroundings are full of churches; La Merced , Santa Teresa, Santa
Clara and many more. Here is a list of some:
The Cathedral
Santo Domingo Convent
San Blas Temple
Santa Catalina Church and Monastery
Santa Teresa Church and Monastery
Santa Clara Church and Monastery
San Francisco Church and Monastery
San Antonio Abad Seminary
Parish de Indios
Also the old Mansions (Casonas) of Cusco tell us how
the Spanish first settlers and their descendants lived.
Learn how these houses were built and discover the
main architectural techniques of Colonial times. Here is a list:
El Cabildo
The Inquisition
Palace of the Admiral
Casa of the Four Busts
Casa de la
Calle Tigre
Casa de las Sierpes
Casa Cabrera
Casa of Inca Garcilazo de la Vega
Casa of the Marquis de Picoaga
Casa of the Marquis de Valleumbroso
Casa of the Marquis de Escobar
Casa de Silva
Casa Clorinda Matto
ADVENTURE SPORTS IN CUSCO
Cusco brings us emotions. It is a good destination for
people who love adventure and adrenalin shocks. The Inca Trail is the best
option for travellers who go in for trekking. In two or four days, depending on
your choice, you will reach Machu Picchu from Cusco. The hang glider lovers
will find in Cusco high mountains and thermal areas, the best conditions to enjoy
the flight. Rafting and kayaking on the Urubamba river or in the Apurímac
canyon will be an unforgettable experience.
GASTRONOMY IN CUSCO
The great variety and long road of Cusco's gastronomy
has achieved great prestige on an international level. You will find the most
typical dishes that made the cuisine of this region so very famous. Discover
these new trends and variety of flavours at any of the restaurants in Cusco. Also the Novoandina Cuisine (it rescues the
traditional products of Andean, and sometimes coastal origin, as the quinua,
the kiwicha, the tarwi, the oca, the olluco, the meat of alpaca etc all of high
energy and nutritious, to incorporate them to a modern, creative kitchen and of
high method grade) is now the new star in high class hotels and restaurants.
WERE TO STAY
In Cuzco you can find thousands of hotels to stay. Prestigious
travel magazines named The Monasterio Hotel as the best to stay in the
world. This hotel introduced the world’s
very first oxygen-enriched rooms, the best cuisine and service in a magic
place. Casa Andina Hotels brings about 10 hotels in all Cusco for every budget.
Also you can find new exquisite hotels in the Urubamba Valley (with stunning
views) and near Machu Picchu. Just search in the web pages and you will find
many options.
Also recommend:
Visit the Museo de Arte Precolombino (the best Pre-Columbian Museum
of Latin America) and of course taste de excellent Peruvian Nouveau Cuisine in
our MAP Café (inside the Museum).
Make de Inca Trail (the only way to enjoy the
spectacular views of the Sacred Valley)
Enjoy a balloon flight over the valley.
Go by train to Machu Picchu (highly recommend)
Visit the surroundings like Pisac and go to the
Market.
Discover the varied and exotic flora and fauna of the
area (specially orchids, butterflies and humming-birds)
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