Koricancha-Temple of the Sun, Cathedral of Santo Domingo (Cusco Cathedral) Reviews (Cusco, Peru)

Cusco Cathedral

Hinckley, England, United Kingdom

January 7, 2007

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo Cusco Cathedral is the focal point of Plaza de Armas, and once inside you’re surrounded by a magnitude of wealth and beauty. The baroque-style cathedral is built on the foundations of the palace of the Inca Wirachocha. Started in 1539 it wasn’t ...Read more Cusco Cathedral is the focal point of Plaza de Armas, and once inside you’re surrounded by a magnitude of wealth and beauty. The baroque-style cathedral is built on the foundations of the palace of the Inca Wirachocha. Started in 1539 it wasn’t declared finished until 1664. Its Renaissance style design, constituted by a Latin-cross base, contains the best colonial goldsmith and woodcarving supposedly in the whole of Peru, as well as a valuable collection of paintings from the Escuela Cusqueña. Many of its stone blocks were brought from the neighbouring fortress of Sacsayhuaman.

Once inside, the first thing that struck me was the richness of alters and chapels. The main altar is made of silver and it represents the introduction of the neoclassic style into the city. Other altars, include the Señor de los Temblores (Lord of the Tremors) and the altar of the Virgen de los Remedios (Virgin of the Remedies), which are rich with gold and silver offerings. Behind the main altar is the original wooden altar primitivo dedicated to St. Paul. The 64-seat cedar choir has rows of carved saints, popes, and bishops, all in stunning detail down to their delicately articulated hands.

By far the most impressive part of the cathedral is the 'capilla de la Plateria' (Silversmith Chapel), where the cathedrals wealth and treasures are really appreciated. Here the most precious jewel can be found, an enormous silver small temple that is used as a processional portable platform for the Corpus Christi. This was a gift from the Bishop Friar Bernardo de Serrada in 1731. On both sides of the cathedral there are two chapels, Capilla del Triunfo and Jesus, Maria and Jose. All of the chapels are enclosed by amazing golden railings and carvings.

Two of the most remarkable paintings on show are the 'La Imposicion de la Casulla a San Ildefonso' (Imposition of the Chasuble to Saint Ildefonso) and 'El Milagro de San Isidro Labrador’ (The Miracle of San Isidro Labrador). Paintings by indigenous artists, including Antonio Sinchi Roca a descendant of the Incan nobility can also be found. It's nice seeing indigenous work instead of Spanish paintings, which are more common inside religious places of worship in Peru. Antonio’s paintings represent the Israelite evangelists, prophets and kings. For me the most impressive artwork were the 50 canvases about the Lauretan Litanies executed by their master Marcos Zapata in 1755. These decorate the upper part of the cathedral, covering the arcs both from the aisles and from the sacristy.

Guides offer tours in Spanish, English, French, Italian, and German, which are included in your admission through the 'Boleto Turistico' ticket, costing $25 and also gains you access to 15 other attractions in and around Cusco. Unfortunately I visited the Cathedral as part of the Cusco City Tour and my guide, although obviously full of all the information you needed did not have adequate enough English to portray this. The Cathedral is open daily from 10am-6pm and can be contacted on 084/254-285. Close

From journal Cusco City - On the Trail of the Incas

Temple of the Sun

by Shady Ady

Hinckley, England, United Kingdom

January 7, 2007

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo A trip to Cusco is not complete without visiting the Temple of the Sun, once the most important temple of the Incas. ‘Coricancha’ (meaning ‘Golden Courtyard’) was covered in gold and silver sculptures during its heyday representing llamas, corn, ...Read more A trip to Cusco is not complete without visiting the Temple of the Sun, once the most important temple of the Incas. ‘Coricancha’ (meaning ‘Golden Courtyard’) was covered in gold and silver sculptures during its heyday representing llamas, corn, babies, and the sun, all of which were melted down by the Spanish when they captured Cusco. Those that weren't melted down were given to pay the ransom for the captured Inca ruler Atahualpa. Unfortunately this proved to be blood money as Atahualpa was later murdered.

The Temple of the Sun was built during the reign of Inca Pachacutec and served predominantly as an astronomical observatory and repository for the realms treasure of gold and silver. When you look at the shape of Cusco, it can be seen that it looks remarkably like a puma, with the temple positioned as the animal’s loins, the centre of which all creation came from.

It is thought some 4,000 priests and their workers lived within the confines of the temple. In the centre of the complex sat a huge giant disc positioned to reflect the sun and bask the temple in light and heat. During the summer solstice the sunlight reflected into a niche in the wall, where only the wealthiest Inca’s were allowed to sit. The Temple of the Sun also served as a sacrificial temple where animals such as the llama, and also young virgins were sacrificed to appease the Gods. There is also evidence of tombs here, where it is thought some Inca royalty were laid to rest. When the temple past to the Dominicans, they used many of the stones from the temple to create the foundations for the Church of Santa Domingo, which today is one of Cusco's most striking imperial-colonial pieces of architecture.

It always amazes me how perfect the Inca masonry was, and this is still evident here where 40% of the original stonework can be seen, including earthquake proof trapezoidal doorways and exquisite carvings, which were incredibly built. I don't think from visiting the temple today you can grasp exactly how powerful this place once was, with cars rushing past on the main road outside.

Bilingual tours are available everyday, and this is included in your admission price. Admission is through the 'Boleto Turisitico' ticket, which costs approximately $25 and allows entrance to 15 other sites of interest in and around Cusco. Half day city tours of Cusco also take in the Temple of the Sun. These cost on average between $6 and $10, and is well worth the price as you get to see other Incan archaeological sites of interest including the Sacsayhuaman ruins overlooking Cusco. The temple is open Mon-Sat from 9am-5.30pm and on Sunday from 2pm-5pm. There is a small museum attached to the grounds of the temple containing a few artefacts that were found on the sight, including a little gold and silver, although there isn't really that much here to keep you for more than 30 minutes. Close

From journal Cusco City - On the Trail of the Incas

Qoricancha

by Liam Hetherington

Manchester, United Kingdom

August 17, 2006

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo If you have time to see only one sight in Cuzco, it must be the church of Santo Domingo at Qoricancha. The spacious Catholic church sits upon a curved hillock that rises up above the Avenida Sol. The mound looks landscaped, and it is, for this was ...Read more If you have time to see only one sight in Cuzco, it must be the church of Santo Domingo at Qoricancha. The spacious Catholic church sits upon a curved hillock that rises up above the Avenida Sol. The mound looks landscaped, and it is, for this was once the site of Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, the holiest site in the holiest city in the Inca World.

When the conquistadores marched in in the 16th century the walls of the temple were reputedly lined with more than 700 sheets of solid gold weighing more than 2kg each. The gardens were also decorated with life-size statues of men, women, children, flowers and animals like the White Witch's castle in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, except that these were fashioned of gold, not ice. It is said that the temple contained so much gold and silver that it took the Spanish three months to melt it all down.

After looting the temple, they then 'sanctified' it of its pagan heritage by building a church over the top, dedicated to local saint Domingo Guzman. The heart of the complex is a spacious sunny courtyard surrounded by courtyard. This sits over where the Temple of the Sun once stood. Rooms mark the sites of the other temples—of the Moon, Lightning, and Venus and the Stars.

Now there are interesting displays on Incan cosmology, which is especially useful if you are spending more time exploring the sacred sites of the Incas. Interestingly the Incas did not associate the constellations with the gods as the Greeks did, but rather they paid attention to the dark spaces between the stars, which they saw as forming the outlines of foxes and llamas. You also get the chance to see close up their ingenious stonework, and to recognise the trademarks of their cleverly-worked doors.

Leaving you walk out over the bastions of curved Inca stonework that are all that now remain of the Qoricancha and down through the gardens.

The site is open from 8am to 5pm, and costs around $1.80. The boleto touristico does not cover entry here. The tourist ticket does however cover the small underground Museo de Sitio Qoricancha on Avenida Sol. If you have a ticket you might as well have a quick browse around the Museo's unenlightening displays of pottery and weaving—otherwise it is really not worth the extra $2 to visit it!

Set aside two hours to take in the site fully. It is a fascinating insight into the religious world of the ancient Inca and should be compulsory for anyone with the slightest interest in their civilization. Close

From journal Cusco - The Navel of the World

The Koricancha-Convent of Santo Domingo

by lashr1999

NY, New York

May 21, 2006

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo The Koricancha and Convent of Santo Domingo has a rich history and story attached to it. Our guide told us part of the history of the site. The Koricancha was a temple built by the Incas to worship Inti, their Sun god. It has been said the walls ...Read more The Koricancha and Convent of Santo Domingo has a rich history and story attached to it. Our guide told us part of the history of the site. The Koricancha was a temple built by the Incas to worship Inti, their Sun god. It has been said the walls were covered in gold and shows of wealth. There was a huge figure of a Sun god made in all gold. The god was said to have a rounded face with thunder and flames of fire. In addition, the temple housed special Incan mummies that were decorated in gold and gems and were taken out on special occasions for processions. The people considered these mummies to be like saints living with god. The people were controlled by the priest religion and these mummies. They were afraid that if they did something against the church, something would happen to their mummies. The entire temple complex was also used as a celestial observatory. Every summer solstice the sun's rays would shine directly into a niche. The rays would hit a tabernacle in which only the Inca nobility were permitted to sit.

Life for the Incas changed when Pizarro entered Cusco with Spanish troops. Soon after the city was plundered of all its gold and wealth. The decorated mummies and idols were taken by the Spanish as spoils of war and they melted down many of the pieces for the gold and silver content. The coming of the Spanish brought a new god and the religion of Christianity to this region as well. Many of the images of Incan gods were destroyed because of this.

In 1534, the site of Koricancha was given to the Dominican order. They kept the foundation of Koricancha and used some of the rocks from Koricancha to make the convent of Santo Domingo. Inside the grounds you can still see the strong construction of the old Inca walls and portals. Walking through the convent you can see the remains of an altar from the Inca temple.

The convent of Santo Domingo was completed in 1633. Inside the convent you will see several chapels with some sculptures and paintings. There are sculptures of Saint Dominic and painting of the Virgin of the Rosaries. The outside courtyard is very beautiful and impressive. In the middle of it is a stone rectangular tank coming from an Incan temple. The walls of the convent surrounding the main yard have paintings about the life of Saint Dominic. The people in the paintings have Spanish styled clothing.

One final interesting fact is that the earthquake of 1650 affected the convent of Santo Domingo while leaving the foundations and the remaining Incan walls intact. The rebuilding of Santo Domingo took about 30 years. This showcases the tremendous building skills of the Incan.

Various tours of Cusco stop at this site. It is also a short hike from Cusco’s center if you want to go on your own. The tourist ticket does not cover this site and you have to pay 5-6 sols to get in.

Close

From journal Cusco: Breathtaking in More Ways than One Part 2

Santo Domingo

by fallschirmhosen

New York, New York

April 27, 2005

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo The first Catholic order to arrive in Cusco was the Dominicans in 1538. Upon their arrival, they built Santo Domingo (in the 1600s), an important convent and church for the Catholics. It was built on top of the Inca's Koricancha, which means ...Read more

From journal What's a Trip to Peru Without Machu Picchu?

IgoUgo

Koricancha-Temple of the Sun, Cathedral of Santo Domingo (Cusco Cathedral)

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Cusco Cathedral

Temple of the Sun

Qoricancha

The Koricancha-Convent of Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo

Koricancha-Temple of the Sun, Cathedral of Santo Domingo (Cusco Cathedral)

What's Nearby?

Nearby Things to Do

Popular Cusco Hotels

Popular Things to Do in Cusco

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Cusco Cathedral

Temple of the Sun

Qoricancha

The Koricancha-Convent of Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo