Garcilaso de la Vega's House, Colonial museum building in Cusco, Peru
Garcilaso de la Vega's House is a two-story colonial stone building with interior courtyards and arched passages in central Cusco. The structure spans multiple rooms organized to display pre-Hispanic ceramics, colonial paintings, metalwork, and woven textiles from different eras.
The house was built in 1534 by Pedro de Oñate directly above Inca stone foundations from an earlier period. It later became home to the prominent chronicler and writer Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, from whom the building takes its name.
The building serves as a gathering place where local visitors connect with regional artistic traditions and learn about craftspeople who shaped Cusco's heritage. The collections reflect how the city has preserved its artistic identity across centuries.
The building sits on Calle Garcilaso in the heart of the city and is easy to reach on foot from most central areas. Visitors should be ready for uneven floors and multiple staircases inside, which require some physical mobility to navigate comfortably.
The building received the UNESCO Blue Shield designation in 2021, making it the first protected monument in Cusco recognized specifically for safeguarding against conflicts and natural disasters. This distinction marks it as a symbol of international heritage protection in the Andean region.
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