Church of the Society of Jesus, Place of worship in Cusco, Peru
The Church of the Society of Jesus is a stone place of worship on the edge of the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru. It has two tall bell towers flanking a carved stone facade, making it one of the most visible buildings on the square.
The Jesuits founded the church on 17 July 1571 on the site of Amarucancha, the palace of the Inca Huayna Capac, bought for 12,000 pesos. The first church, with a Plateresque facade, was destroyed by the 1650 earthquake. Construction of the new church began on 22 August 1651; the nave vault closed in 1653 and the church was consecrated in 1668.
The church holds paintings from the Cusco School, including one that depicts the wedding of an Inca princess and a Spanish officer. These works show how local artists brought together two very different worlds in a single image.
The church faces the Plaza de Armas, a short walk from anywhere in the historic center. It is built entirely of pink basalt and andesite, so the carved portal and the two flanking bell towers are best examined from the square itself. The 1950 earthquake damaged the facade and choir and brought down the eastern tower, which had been leaning since 1940; the building was later restored.
The 100-quintal bell cast for the rebuilt church cracked and was removed in 1694, so the towers seen today never housed it. The facade was directed by Diego Martínez de Oviedo, likely following plans by the Flemish Jesuit Juan Bautista Edigiano.
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