The emblematic Plaza de Armas of Cusco, is surrounded by important buildings like the beautiful arches that go around the four streets in front of it, but they are not just beautiful, they have history within. Cusco Cathedral is one of these important and impressive buildings, a sort of guardian for the city that appears unbreakable, although it had suffered nature's rage in the past, it still stands today, reinventing itself along with the people of Cusco, feeding of culture, as well as tradition.
Cusco's Cathedral is not just a Catholic Church's power statement during the colonial era, it is also a perfect example of cultural merging, people’s beliefs, great architecture and artists and artisans fabulous work, and it houses all kinds of treasures that shows all the skills of those who built it.
Come with us and travel through time to learn more about this cultural jewel placed right in front of the Plaza the Armas.
Along with the conqueror army, the Catholic Church arrived in Perú and brought with it the conviction to evangelize the conquered people. Under that idea, the Bishopric of Cusco was created in 1536 and Fray Vicente Valverde was appointed Bishop with the task of finding the ideal place to build the Cathedral.
As a first step to ensure conversion of the inhabitants of Cusco, the Church of Triunfo was erected. Years later, right next to it, the Cathedral and the Church of La Sagrada Familia would be built.
Finally the place is chosen. It is decided to build the holy building in the Quishuarcancha, the old palace of the Inca Huiracocha, land that at that time belonged to Alonso de Mesa.
Officially, in 1559 Juan Miguel de Veramendi is chosen to be the architect and designer in charge of the constructions of the building. They decided to use the rocks from the Fortress of Sacsayhuaman based on the convenience of its location and because of its significance for the Incas. In 1560, during a ceremony that gathered the entire community, the first stone was placed, and in the following years some changes and modifications were applied to the original blueprints, making it bigger and more impressive.
The construction of the Cathedral Basilica took almost 100 years and throughout that time it was under the supervision of different master builders. In 1650, on March 31th at exactly 2pm in the afternoon, a major earthquake struck the city of Cusco, causing many deaths and the destruction of several buildings in the city. By that time the domes of the Cathedral and most of its structure had been completed, so despite the strong movement, it was not destroyed completely.
In June 1654, a part of the Cathedral Basilica of Cusco was completed and the first mass was celebrated. The chronicles tell that the celebration brought together the most illustrious authorities, members of the Church and nearby communities. Five years later, in 1659, the towers and the front were finished and in 1668, the Cathedral was finally consecrated.
The Cathedral is surrounded by two side temples: El Triunfo (the Triumph) and La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family). The first one was built before the Cathedral and it was used as a temporary major temple. Inside was placed La Cruz de la Conquista (the Cross of the Conquest) that came from Spain and the image of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Our Lady of the Assumption). The last one represents the victory over Manco Inca, for which the temple was named after.
Later, in 1723, the construction of La Sagrada Familia began, and it was completed 12 years later. This temple was closed for almost 30 years, because it deteriorated due to lack of proper maintenance after the 1950 earthquake, but in 1996 it was fully restored.
The Cathedral is a construction that houses several architectural and artistic styles, among which the Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque styles stand out, all merged to create a marvel of ancient architecture.
The construction is designed with a rectangular plan of basilica type with 3 aisles, Epistle, Central and Evangelium. There's 14 columns that support the weight of the 24 vaults that makes the ceiling a piece of jewel of remarkable beauty, full of Gothic style arches and details. The front of the holy building is strong and impressive and seems to be eternal and unbreakable with its Renaissance style of two powerful side towers. The Cathedral is beautiful from every angle and is a testament of faith of the people of Cusco.
The Cathedral is splendid by itself. Its walls, vaults and the bell towers can be considered as architectural jewels and inside there's art in every corner.
It houses important pieces of art created by famous artists such as canvas from Bernardo Bitti, paintings from Diego Quispe Tito representative of the Escuela Cusqueña and the emblematic masterpiece of Marcos Zapata, who painted an interpretation of The Last Supper, where a Cuy is the main dish of the menu.
At the inside of the church is possible to see pieces of goldsmithing of great beauty, such as the main altar made of pure silver with a weight higher than 2645 pounds.
The choir of the Cathedral is simply unparalleled in beauty. A work of the highest quality woodwork, in which the cedar carvings of saints can be seen next to the choir stalls.
Much of the art that decorates the Cathedral of Cusco was brought from Europe or donated by powerful families of the time who wanted to pay tribute to the Catholic Church and its saints.
One of the most rare pieces that belongs to the Cathedral is the Cristo de los Temblores, known as well as Lord of the Tremors or Black Christ. This sculpture is very significant as it is part of Cusco's iconography. It's a large piece representing a dark skin Christ, richly dressed with golden crown and precious stone decorations. According to the legend it was The Lord of the Tremors the one who appeased the rage of the earth in the earthquake of 1650, because days after the horrible experience, the earth continued to shake, so the inhabitants of Cusco took him out in procession and finally the movement stopped. He has been named after his miracle and now awaits very close to one of the gates of the Cathedral, ready to stop the forces of nature at any time.
Religion and church are very important for the inhabitants of Cusco, who managed to merge their ancestral beliefs with the customs of the Catholic religion, creating a world rich in art, traditions and religious celebrations. Celebrations such as Corpus Christi, one of the most important festivals in Cusco, usually celebrated between May and June. They are part of the identity of the city and its inhabitants and they combine faith, religious rituals, legends, myths and traditions of the Andean people. The Cathedral is the heart of many celebrations in the Imperial city and is considered one of the most important and significant religious monuments of the colonial era in this part of the world.
Visit Cusco today, stroll around its charming streets, temples and churches. Learn everything there's to know about the Cathedral by clicking on City Tour and Sacred Valley and amaze yourself with the secrets of the most important church in Cusco.
Take our beautiful Cusco Churches Tour and learn more about religious art in the Imperial City. Visit The Full Experience and explore all the wonderful destinations that Cusco and Inca Rail has to offer.
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