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The palace of Inca Roca.
Ever hear of it?
Perhaps if you lived during Incan times.
Today, the Inca Roca palace is known as the Archbishop’s Palace or The Religious Art Museum.
Located a short distance from Plaza de Armas, on the famous Hatunrumiyoc Street, the museum is located on the site which was once the home of the Marquis of San Juan de Buenavista and later the Archbishop of Cusco. Transformed into a museum in the 1960s, the site attracts thousands of visitors interested in the both the Colonial and Moorish architecture of the building as well as the religious artifacts housed in the museum. Dedicated to 17th and 18th century religious art by important Peruvian and Andean artists, the main draw for many visitors, however, is the historic palace setting.
As we walked up the street, we noticed many people taking pictures near the stone perimeter wall of the museum. We learned that one particular stone interested them, “The Stone of 12 Angles” an archaeological artifact, considered to be a national heritage object.
After validating our Religious Ticket, we entered the museum first, noticing (again) not only the NO PHOTOS sign, but the cloistered Renaissance courtyard, decorated with a tranquil fountain, stone arches and walls decorated with blue and white tiles. Many visitors were sitting here enjoying a quiet moment away from the busy streets of Cusco.
Surrounding the courtyard, inside the classical mansion, are a series of corridors filled with colonial furniture, chapels and important works of masters of Andean painting, including Juan Zapata. There are many valuable religious masterpieces such as a painting of Christ’s crucifixion by Alonso Cano, entitled Granada and paintings by the Cusqueno Marcos Zapata, one Ayacuchana painting and a Quitena painting.
An important relic, a small organ of two processing refined bellows occupies one of the smaller rooms. This organ was the first ever to come to Peru for the cathedral.
The architecture is exceptional with a door in arabesque style, doorways in the Moorish style, carved cedar ceilings and spectacular stained-glass windows and a beautiful gold-filled chapel.
The one thing that we noticed, however, was the lack of information displayed on what we were seeing. Much of what we gleaned from our visit was from a bit of research later.
The museum was small, but interesting to see…rather enjoyable having another location to discover something new about Cusco’s history and to occupy some time during our day. Not sure if I would have sought it out on my own, but worth the time since it was included in our Religious ticket and a plus for those interested in architectural styles.
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Museum of Religious Art
- Address: Located on the corner of Hatunrumiyoq Street and Herrajes street.
- Hours: 0800-1800, daily.
- Admission: Adult, S /. 15.00 (about $4.45 US). Student: S /. 7.50 (about $2.20 US). Admission with the Religious Ticket (also incorporating three other churches ), S /. 30.00 (about $10.50 US). Also included with the Cusco Tourist Ticket.
Cathedral of Cusco (Basilica Cathedral of the Virgin of Asuncion)
- Address: Plaza de Armas
- Hours: 1000 to 1800, daily.
- Admission: Adult, S /. 25.00 (about $7.38 US). Student: S /. 12.50 (about $3.70 US). Admission also with the Religious Ticket (also incorporating two other churches and museum), S /. 30.00 (about $10.50 US).
Templo San Blas
- Address: Plazoleta de San Blas, Cusco
- Hours: 1000-1800, daily
- Admission: Adult, S /. 15.00 (about $4.45 US). Student: S /. 7.50 (about $2.20 US). Admission with the Religious Ticket (also incorporating two other churches and museum), S /. 30.00 (about $10.50 US).
Church of San Cristobal
- Address: Avenue Don Bosco
- Hours: 1000-1800, daily
- Admission: Adult, S /. 15.00 (about $4.45 US). Student: S /. 7.50 (about $2.20 US). Admission with the Religious Ticket (also incorporating two other churches and museum), S /. 30.00 (about $10.50 US).