Main Square
In the time of the Incas the main square was known as the ‘Square of the warrior’. It has been the scene of several important events in the history of Cusco. Every year the beginning of the spectacular ‘Inti Raymi’ or ‘Fiesta del Sol’ is began here. It was also in the Main Square that Francisco Pizarro proclaimed the conquest of Cusco and it was also the scene for the death of Tupar Amaru I (1571), the commander of the unsuccessful Inca resistance. The arrival of the Spanish saw the Plaza surrounded by beautiful arcades of stone in traditional colonial style, these can still be seen and admired today.
In the Plaza you also find the Cathedral and the church of the Society of Jesus.
The temple of Qoricancha and the convent of Santo Domingo
The convent was built over the spectacular Temple of Qoricancha (place of gold), the most important temple dedicated to the cult of the sun, the walls of which were covered with sheets of gold. This convent, using a base structures of carved stones, is one of the most delicate works of architecture in Cusco. Its single tower, in the Baroque style, rises above the tile roofs of the city.
The convent has an important collection of paintings in the style of the Cusqueña school.
Calle Hatun Rumiyoc
This is perhaps the best known street in the city. In one of its walls of carved stone (the Archbishop’s Palace) you can find the famous stone with the 12 corners, identical to the one which forms a part of the old palace of Inca Roca. This street, rich in magnetism, offers an excellent access to the picturesque craft neighbourhood of San Blas.
The San Blas neighbourhood
San Blas also known as the neighbourhood of the artisans is one of the most picturesque places in the city. Its narrow back streets zigzag between grand old houses built of Inca stones and gentle little squares. The church was built in 1563, and is the oldest parish of Cusco. It has a spectacular pulpit, considered to be one of the best examples of a wooden carved pulpit of the colonial period. From this neighbourhood you have one of the most beautiful views of the city.
The neighbourhood also houses shops and stores of the most renowned artisans of Cusco, such as Hilario Mendívil and Edilberto Mérida, Santiago Rojas and Maximiliana Palomino.