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At some point during your visit to Cusco, you are bound to make the steep climb up the ancient Incan Road, Hathunrumiyoc (Quechua for great stone street”) and believe me, it is steep!
Passing the Archbishop’s Museum and the 12 angled stone set into the ancient perimeter wall, you will be huffing and puffing when you make it to the Plazoleta San Blas.
Or maybe that was just me…still unaccustomed to Cusco’s high elevation.
So why make the trip?
The area is quite unique and filled with boutiques, restaurants and of course…a church. A small church. An ancient church.
The Templo San Blas.
Built in 1544, the primitive chapel was constructed on the site of an old Inca temple dedicated to Illapa, the god of thunder and lightning. Set in the oldest parish of Cusco, the church, built by Viceroy Francisco Toledo, was originally built with mud bricks, but was reconstructed with stone walls after the earthquake of 1950.
An earlier earthquake also played a pivotal role in the church’s history. About a hundred years after its erection, an earthquake shook the city and the old neighborhood of T’oqokachi. Once the church had been rebuilt and restored, it became an important temple and began to be decorated with extravagant and important artwork.
The collection of paintings exhibited in the church include one displaying the Life and Miracles of San Blas by artist Fabian Perez de Medina and a canvas of the resurrection of Lazarus, by Master Diego Quispe Tito. It’s greatest attraction, however, is the beautifully intricate pulpit carved of Cusquenian cedar, known worldwide. One legend has it that it was made by a local man who who miraculously healed from leprosy, another suggests that it was created by famous Quechua woodcarvers, and still, it is also thought to have been created by either Diego Quispe Tito or
Juan Tomas Tuyru Tupac.
As we entered the simple looking church, our tickets were validated and we entered, not expecting to see much. What a surprise was in store for us!
As was becoming the norm, no photographs were allowed and someone was actively walking throughout the church watching our actions. If only I could have captured the beauty that was laid forth before us in greater detail. Trying to slyly snap a couple of photographs of the amazing altar and the pulpit, I was reprimanded by the guard…though I was successful. A bit embarrassed, we decided to head up to the bell tower where we were able to take photographs of the plaza beneath us and of the tower and bell. The views from here were spectacular in the beautiful afternoon.
Once we descended from the bell tower, the church had gained more visitors, but we were still unable to capture more photos.
While the church is included in the Religious Ticket, it is worth the price of single admission because of its rich history, amazing interior and views! Take the time…make the climb! Up the hill and to the belltower!
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Templo San Blas
- Address: Plazoleta San Blas, Cusco, Peru
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, 0800-1800, Sunday, 1000-1800
- 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).