Iglesia de San Cristobal, Colonial church in Cusco, Peru

Iglesia de San Cristobal sits on a hilltop overlooking Cusco with stone walls adorned with intricate carvings and a bell tower rising prominently against the Andean peaks. The structure shows Spanish Mannerist design combined with building methods developed locally in the region.

Spanish colonists built this religious structure in the 16th century, blending Mannerist design with construction methods rooted in Andean traditions. The church emerged during a period when the new rulers sought to establish their religious and political authority over the conquered region.

The church's name comes from Cristóbal Paullu Inca, the Inca prince baptised in 1543, and its main image of Saint Christopher takes part in the Corpus Christi festivities. The founder's remains were found buried beneath the church in 2007.

The church stands at the western end of the Colcampata square on the Sacsayhuamán hill, on the walking route between the Plaza de Armas and the Sacsayhuamán ruins. Its position makes it the highest church in the city, and it can be seen from the plaza and other points of the monumental zone. The main doorway faces east onto the Colcampata square.

In 2007, excavations beneath the floor uncovered the remains of the church's founder, the Inca prince Cristóbal Paullu Inca, who was baptized around 1543 and took the name Cristóbal in honour of Saint Christopher of Lycia. Only the bell tower, the doors facing the Colcampata square and the choir are built of stone; the rest of the building is adobe.