Convent of Santo Domingo, Dominican convent in central Cusco, Peru
The Dominican convent in Cusco combines Spanish colonial architecture with precisely fitted Inca stone blocks from the former temple dedicated to the sun. The structure reveals two building styles side by side: below are the massive, perfectly interlocking Inca foundations, and above them stand the Spanish colonial vaults and a baroque tower.
Dominican friars constructed this religious complex in 1534 on the site of the Qoricancha, where the Inca people previously worshipped the sun god Inti. The Spanish reused the existing stone blocks as the foundation for their new structure, creating a building that visibly stacks both cultures atop each other.
The chapel displays a blending of Catholic and Inca religious elements visible in the carefully shaped stone walls and interior spaces once dedicated to celestial bodies. You can sense this connection immediately upon entering, as the original Inca architecture remains visible beneath the Spanish church structure.
The convent is open to visitors during daylight hours and can be explored either on your own or with a guide. There are multiple rooms to pass through, and you should wear comfortable shoes since the floors are stone and sometimes uneven.
The Inca walls are made of stones fitted so precisely that even today a knife cannot slip between them. Multiple strong earthquakes have left this lower section nearly untouched, while the newer Spanish construction above it has required repairs several times.
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