Cusco Cathedral, Minor basilica in Plaza de Armas, Peru
Cusco Cathedral is a Baroque church in the city center with three naves and a rectangular plan. The structure features fourteen cruciform pillars and displays a imposing stone façade dominating the main plaza.
Construction began in 1560 at the site of a former Inca palace and finished in 1654. Builders transported large stone blocks from the Sacsayhuaman fortress to create the cathedral's walls.
The cathedral holds paintings by the Cusco School, the colonial workshop tradition that dominated Andean religious art; local artists worked European models with Andean features and dress. Look for the Señor de los Temblores, the crucifix venerated here, carried out in processions. The carved wooden altars and colonial silverwork are part of the same interior.
Entry is through the Iglesia del Triunfo on the right side of the main façade, which opens daily for visits. Wear comfortable shoes as you explore the interior with its multiple levels and stepping between different sections.
The cathedral's stone came from nearby quarries and reused red granite blocks hauled from the Sacsayhuamán fortress. Inside, look for the painting of the Last Supper by Marcos Zapata, where the table holds a roasted guinea pig and chicha vessels.
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