List of buildings and structures in Cusco facts for kids

A view of Cusco in 1887.

Welcome to Cusco, a super cool city in Peru! It's famous for its amazing old buildings, some built by the ancient Inca people and others by the Spanish who arrived later. UNESCO even calls Cusco a World Heritage Site, which means it's super important for everyone to protect. This article will take you on a tour of some of Cusco's most famous buildings, from ancient temples to grand churches!

Ancient Inca Buildings

These buildings were made by the Inca people long before the Spanish arrived. Many of them still stand strong today! We'll use their original names in the Quechua language.

• The City's Inca Foundations: When the Spanish built their new city, they often used the strong stone walls of the Inca buildings as foundations. This means many colonial buildings actually have ancient Inca parts hidden in their lower walls! The Inca city was largely redesigned in the 1400s by a powerful Inca ruler named Pachakutiq.
• Saqsaywaman: This incredible fortress is just two kilometers north of Cusco. It was built between 1100 and the early 1500s. It shows off amazing Inca stonework, with huge stones fitted together perfectly without any mortar!
• Qurikancha (Temple of the Sun): This was one of the most important temples for the Inca, dedicated to Inti, the Sun god. It was started by the Ayarmaca people around the 1200s-1300s and later made even grander by Pachakutiq in the 1400s. Today, you can see its remains below and inside the Convent of Santo Domingo.
• Muyuq Marka Tower: This tower was actually another temple dedicated to Inti, the Sun god. It's part of the Saqsaywaman complex, showing how important the Sun was to the Inca.
• Palace of Colcampata: This is one of the oldest places in Cusco. It's believed to be where the very first settlers lived and possibly where the legendary Inca ruler Manco Cápac built his first home. It's located near the Sacsayhuamán hill.

Colonial Buildings

After the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, they built many new structures, often on top of or next to Inca foundations. These buildings show a mix of Spanish and local styles.

Churches and Monasteries

Cusco has many beautiful churches and monasteries built during the Spanish colonial period.

• Templo del Triunfo: This church was built between 1539 and 1664. It's located right in the city's main square, the Plaza de Armas. It shows off the Renaissance style of architecture.
• Church of San Blas: Built from 1544 to 1563, this church is famous for its incredibly detailed cedar pulpit. The pulpit was carved in the late 1600s in a fancy style called Churrigueresque.
• Cusco Cathedral: This huge cathedral was built between 1560 and 1654. Its outside looks like Renaissance style, but inside you'll find Plateresque Gothic and Baroque styles. Many Spanish and local architects worked on it. You can find it in the Plaza de Armas.
• Church of la Compañía de Jesús: Built by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) from 1576 to 1668, this church is a great example of Andean Baroque style. It's also in the Plaza de Armas, right next to the Cathedral.
• Monastery of Santa Clara: This monastery was built between 1603 and 1650. It mixes Renaissance and Baroque styles. It was home to the Franciscan Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Church of San Francisco de Asís: Built from 1645 to 1652, this church has a Romanesque and Plateresque look. Most of its inside is still original! It belongs to the Franciscans.
• Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena: This monastery was built between 1651 and 1669 and was home to the Dominican Nuns Order.
• Basilica of La Merced: This beautiful basilica was built from 1651 to 1696. It features Baroque and Renaissance styles on the outside, and Baroque and Neoclassical styles inside. It belongs to the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.
• Church of San Cristóbal: Built in the second half of the 1600s, this church shows a style called Mannerism. An Inca indigenous architect named Marcos Uscamayta helped build it. It's located on Sacsayhuamán Hill.
• Monastery of San José y Santa Teresa: This monastery was built from 1673 to 1676 in the Baroque style. It was built for the Discalced Carmelites.
• Church and Seminary of Saint Anthony the Abbot: The church part of this building was constructed from 1678 to 1692. It's another example of Andean Baroque architecture.
• Convent of Santo Domingo: Built from 1680 to the early 1700s, this convent is a Baroque style building. It was built by the Dominican Order right on top of the ancient Inca temple of Qurikancha.
• Church of la Almudena: This church was built from 1683 to 1689 in the Baroque style. An Inca indigenous architect named Juan Tomás Tuyru Túpac helped design it.
• Church of San Pedro: Built from 1688 to 1699, this church combines Andean Baroque and Renaissance styles. Juan Tomas Tuyro Túpac, the same Inca architect, also worked on this one.
• Templo de la Sagrada Familia: This church was built between 1723 and 1735 in the Renaissance style.

Other Colonial Buildings

Besides churches, many other important buildings were constructed during the colonial period.

• Balconies of Cusco: As you walk around Cusco, you'll see many beautiful wooden balconies on the buildings. These were added between the 1500s and 1800s and show a mix of Mudéjar art (Spanish style with Islamic influences) and Baroque styles.
• House of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega: This house, built in the late 1500s, was once the home of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, a famous writer who was half Inca and half Spanish. Today, it's the Museo Histórico Regional del Cusco (Regional Historical Museum of Cusco).
• Archbishop's Palace of Cusco: Completed in the late 1600s, this grand building is now the Museo de Arte Religioso (Museum of Religious Art). It's special because it combines Colonial Peruvian, Inca, and even Pre-Inca architecture.
• Hospital of la Almudena: This hospital was built from 1689 to the late 1700s in the Baroque style. It was run by the Order of the Brothers of Bethlehem.
• Hospital and Convent of San Juan de Dios: Built between 1615 and 1617, this building has a Renaissance style. It was managed by the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God.

Republican Buildings (After Colonial Rule)

After Peru became independent from Spain, new buildings were still being constructed.

• La Almudena General Cemetery: This cemetery was built between 1846 and 1850. Its entrance shows a mix of Baroque and Neoclassical styles.

See also

• History of Cusco

Images for kids

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  Many colonial buildings used Inca walls as foundations.

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  The impressive walls of Saqsaywaman.

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  The remains of Qurikancha, the Inca Sun Temple.

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  The base of the Muyuq Marka Tower.

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  The ancient Palace of Colcampata.

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  The Templo del Triunfo.

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  The Church of San Blas.

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  Ruins of the Convent of San Agustín.

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  The Church of San Sebastián.

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  The Monastery of Santa Clara.

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  The Church of San Francisco de Asís.

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  The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena.

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  The Basilica of La Merced.

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  The Church of San Cristóbal.

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  The Monastery of San José y Santa Teresa.

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  The Church and Seminary of Saint Anthony the Abbot.

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  The Convent of Santo Domingo.

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  The Church of la Almudena.

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  The Church of San Pedro.

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  The Templo de la Sagrada Familia.

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  The Central Chapel of Santo Roma.

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  Typical balconies of Cusco.

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  The House of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

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  The Archbishop's Palace of Cusco.

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  The Hospital of la Almudena.

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  The Hospital and Convent of San Juan de Dios.

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  The entrance to La Almudena General Cemetery.