Convent of Santo Domingo, Cusco Facts for Kids

The front of the convent, built on the base of the Coricancha temple.

The Convent of Santo Domingo in 1877, drawn by Ephraim George Squier.

Court of Convent of Santo Domingo and Ancient Inca Fountain, around 1877, drawn by Ephraim George Squier.

The Convent of Santo Domingo is an old monastery in the city of Cusco, Peru. It belongs to the Dominican Order, a group of monks. Spanish settlers built this convent right on top of Coricancha, which was the most important temple of the Inca Empire.

History
- Building a New Home
- Earthquakes and Rebuilding
What it Looks Like
The Museum
Gallery
See also

History

Building a New Home

After the Spanish arrived, Juan Pizarro, brother of the famous Francisco Pizarro, gave the land where the Inca temple stood to the Dominican Order. This happened in October 1534. The Dominican Order started their first convent in Peru that same year. The first building was finished in 1610.

Earthquakes and Rebuilding

The first leader of the convent was Friar Juan de Olías. He came with other Dominican missionaries from Mexico. Sadly, a very strong earthquake hit Cusco on May 12, 1650. It completely destroyed the convent.

Building the current convent began in 1680. Rich supporters like Diego López de Zúñiga and Antonio de Allende helped pay for it. Martín Gonzales de los Lagos, Sebastián Martínez, and Pedro de Mesa were the architects. The convent was fully completed in the early 1700s when a beautiful Baroque bell tower was added.

Another earthquake in 1950 badly damaged the bell tower and a special chapel called the apse chapel. Luckily, these parts were quickly fixed.

What it Looks Like

The Spanish told people to take apart the Coricancha temple to get materials for the convent. So, the convent was built directly on top of the Inca temple's remains. The church inside has three main sections, called naves, and a round dome. It also has special seats for the choir, carved from cedar wood. The walls are decorated with beautiful ceramic tiles called Sevillian azulejos.

The Museum

Today, there is a museum inside the convent. It is divided into four main parts:

The Coricancha: This part shows the ancient Inca temple itself.
Cusco School collection: This art gallery has paintings and religious statues from the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s.
Contemporary art collection: This section displays modern artworks that the museum has bought.
"Colección Ganadores de Concursos del Convento": This part features modern artworks that won major awards in art contests. These contests, called “Predicarte” and “Concurso Navideño de Arte,” are organized by the Convent of Santo Domingo - Qorikancha to support art in Cusco.