Palacio de Justicia del Cusco, Superior court in Cusco, Peru.
Palacio de Justicia del Cusco is the seat of the Superior Court of Justice of Cusco, a neoclassical building facing Avenida El Sol in the historic centre. It was built between 1952 and 1957 on the grounds of the former colonial prison, after the 1950 earthquake destroyed much of that structure. The court had previously sat in the Colegio de San Bernardo on San Bernardo Street.
The site was originally Amarucancha, the residence of Inca emperor Huayna Capac, before becoming property of Hernando Pizarro during Spanish colonization. The current neoclassical structure was built on this historically layered location in 1957.
The name Amarucancha, the Inca compound on this site, means "enclosure of the serpent" in Quechua. The colonial prison that replaced it gave its name to Calle Afligidos, and the prison gate still faces Pampa del Castillo — the "castle" in that street name was the jail itself.
The building is located on Avenida del Sol and is within walking distance from central Cusco. Keep in mind that this is an active courthouse, so there may be restrictions on public access to certain areas.
The colonial prison that preceded the courthouse gave its name to Calle Afligidos; the gate of that jail still stands facing Pampa del Castillo, and the "castle" in that street name was the prison itself. Tupac Amaru II was held in this complex in the 18th century.
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