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There is no shortage of churches in Cusco.
In fact, with so many in such close proximity, it is possible to fill your day with a self-guided walking tour, hitting on some of the major temples, beginning with Iglesia de Santo Domingo on Calle Santo Domingo, heading to Plaza de Armas to visit Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, Iglesia del Triunfo, La Catedral, Iglesia de Jesus Maria, on to Iglesia de Santa Teresa and Iglesia de la Merced, a block away, and then Iglesia de San Francisco, Iglesia de Santa Clara and Iglesia de San Pedro a short stroll from the plaza.
These churches, some dating back to the mid 1500’s, offer spectacular insight on both the Inca and Spanish colonial cultures.
The Cathedral of Cusco (Basilica Cathedral of the Virgin of Asuncion), dominates the Plaza de Armas and I was anxious to visit this massive structure. Finding that a ticket (the Boleto Religioso) could be purchased that offers admission to not only the cathedral, but to two other churches, Templo San Blas and the Church of San Cristobal and the Museum of Religious Art, I decided that this would be a great way to not only see some of the amazing religious sites of Cusco, but some of the parts of the city in between.
Long before the Cathedral stood on its present location, the Kiswarkancha stood in the main square. Built by the Incas, the Kiswarkancha was the palace of Viracocha, the ruler of the Kingdom of Cusco. As the Spanish conquistadors arrived, however, they made the decision to demolish the palace and build a cathedral on the site, in order to wipe out the Inca religion and promote the spread of Christianity.
Lasting for almost a century, construction began in 1559 and was completed by utilizing an involuntary Incan workforce. Most of the stones used in the construction was taken from Sacsayhuaman, again with the idea of desecrating another of the Inca’s religious sites. Once the Spaniards learned that the sand located on the building site was also considered holy, they demanded that it be used in the mortar.
Standing before this mighty structure, flanked by its two solid towers and sidled by the Iglesia del Triunfo and Church of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, it’s easy to forget its sordid beginnings.
As we entered and paid our admission, once again, I noticed that photography was not allowed. No…not even without a flash.
After we began our self-guided tour and began to see the unimaginable beauty presented in this “Mother Church”, I was even more disappointed about the No Photography rule.
The sprawling cathedral has eleven chapels, one vestry, one chapter house, seven altarpieces, one choir, over three hundred paintings, various carvings and sculptures. Offering characteristics of Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque architecture, from start to finish, the artistic detail offered in every nook and cranny is a feast for the eye. Baroque, Neoclassical and Renaissance details are displayed on the two altars and magnificent woodworking is displayed on the pulpits and choir stalls. Of the two altars, the original lambran (alder-tree) is located at the back and the neoclassical embossed silver altar in front, which is currently used.
The sacristy, one of the most decorated parts of the cathedral, displays a large collection of 18th paintings by Marcos Zapata, including his version of the Last Supper which presents the main dish of roast guinea pig, and portraits of Cusco’s bishops, beginning with Vicente de Valverde, the first resident bishop of Cusco who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his conquests. A large, dark painting of the crucifixion, is also presented here, thought to be painted by either Dutch artist, Anthony van Dyck or Spanish artist Alonso Cano. Other important paintings by Basilio Santa Cruz Pumacallo and Basilio Pacheco can also be seen in the cathedral as well as the oldest surviving painting in Cusco, depicting the the ancient city during the 1650 earthquake where the townspeople are seen carrying a crucifix in the Plaza de Armas, praying for the natural disaster to end. Diego Quispe Tito’s Christ’s 12 Parables is particularly noteworthy as this incomplete collection depicts the twelve months and zodiac symbols of the year, incorporating the parables of Jesus into the pictures.
A most intriguing relic is the wooden crucifix, the Black Christ, discolored from centuries of smoke and dust emitted from burning candles. When the cathedral was restored in the 1990s, the crucifix was not cleaned. Every year, during the Lord of Miracles Procession during Holy Week, the crucifix is taken outdoors to commemorate the earthquake of 1650.
Another spectacular piece, which can be spied from the outside, in the north tower, is the famous Maria Angola bell. Weighing over 13,000 pounds and standing just over seven feet, the bell, cast in 1659 was named, according to local tradition, after an Angolan slave who threw gold into the crucible where the bell was being made. Now cracked, it is only rung on special occasions and can be heard reportedly from more than 20 miles away.
The cathedral attracts thousands of visitors each year and includes a visit to the adjoining Church of Triumph (Iglesia del Triunfo) which was built in 1538, three years after the conquistadors settled in Cusco. The statue of St. James, slaying an Inca, sits atop the church as a tribute to the belief that this patron saint of Spain played a major role in the Spanish miraculously driving back the Incas during a siege from 1533 and 1536.
Also attached to the church, and included in the visit to the cathedral, is the Church of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, a great place to see the art work of colonial Peruvian Inca artists.
Walking slowly throughout the premises, we attempted to soak in as much of the amazing craftsmanship as we could while I took an occasional photo on the sly. Be wary, however, there are cameras located throughout the church and workers who are not easily identifiable will ask you to put away your phone or camera. Though I was only caught once, I can not say for sure whether or not a guest would be asked to leave for continuing to disobey the rule.
Whether or not churches are of interest to you, make sure to put the Cathedral on your agenda during your visit to Cusco, as well as the other churches and museum included with the combination ticket. With a museum-like quality, you will surely be fascinated by not only its history, but by the intriguing architecture, craftsmanship and artwork on display here.
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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).
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.
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).
The first thing I noticed about Rotterdam is while there are new buildings and skyscrapers, there are also still some older buildings scattered throughout the city, sometimes sandwiched between newer construction. I thought that this gave an interesting quality to the city…a sort of ying-yang. The second thing I noticed was that sculpture is EVERYWHERE! Following the canal that led away from the train station, I began to see interesting pieces of artwork lining the banks. Each piece was identified by a metal plaque on the walkway advising observers of the name of the artwork, the artist’s name and location and year constructed. Making for a nice leisurely walk, I stopped at each of the sculptures as I made my way south on Westersingel to Eendrachtsplein, where I found the current location of the controversial sculpture by Paul McCarthy, Santa Claus. A shocking statue, it depicts the beloved Santa not holding a Christmas tree but a sex toy. While some people have defended it proclaiming that it reflects the fetishization of Christmas and the prevalent sexuality in consumer society, others declared it vulgar and offensive.
Further on, I gazed upward at the Euromast, the observation tower constructed between 1958 and 1960 and designed by Hugh Maaskant. Though I would have like to visit the observation platform to see the city from the tallest building in Rotterdam, time was limited and I was headed to the oldest part of the city, Delfshaven.
The Pilgrim Father’s Church, dating back to 1417, when the Roman Catholic Church of St. Anthony was consecrated on the site, later fell into Protestant hands in 1574. When a group of English dissenters fled to the Netherlands in 1608, they later decided to make the journey to America so that they might worship in their own way. On July 21, 1620, they knelt in prayer on the quay near the church before boarding the ship, the Speedwell.
The Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug) was completed in 1996 and is the largest and heaviest bascule bridge in Western Europe, connecting the north and south parts of the city. Named after Desiderius Erasmus (Erasmus of Rotterdam), a prominent Christian renaissance humanist, the cable-stayed bridge section with its single asymmetrical pale blue pylon with a prominent horizontal base has earned the bridge the nickname, The Swan.
Finally, heading back toward the train station, I made three quick detours to see some fantastic landmarks, Kijk Kubus (Cube Houses), innovative housing designed by Piet Blom, Grote of St. Laurenskerk (Church of St. Lawrence), the only remnant of the medieval city of Rotterdam, and Stadhuis Rotterdam (City Hall), the Beaux Art style building (with Byzantine, Roman and Art Deco influences) that was one of the few buildings to survive the bombardment of World War II.
After five hours of intense sightseeing and walking throughout the old-yet-new city of Rotterdam, my feet were aching, yet satisfied. I had seen all that the city had to offer and was confident that future travels would be easier, allowing me to explore the city in depth.
It was time head back to Amsterdam and this time, I caught the Intercity Direct! Definitely the way to go! Heck, I didn’t really even have time to catch a nap!
Opened in 1952, the park is named for George Maduro, a Jewish law student from Curaçao. After fighting the Nazi occupations forces as a member of the Dutch resistance, he died at Dachau concentration camp and was the only person of Antillean descent to be awarded the Knight 4th-class of the Military Order of William. After World War II, his parents donated the necessary capital to build the park in honor of their only son and a replica of his birthplace in Curaçao was added to the park in his honor.
Having traveled throughout the Netherlands, I have seen much of its beauty and many of its municipalities. As I moved to the rear of the property with reproductions of many of the Netherlands’ cities, I developed a game to check out each city exhibit before reading the accompanying signs and identify it by its buildings and landmarks. As an avid photographer, I especially enjoyed positioning my camera to get the best shots of these tiny cities…with the results, in some cases, you have no idea that you are looking at a photo of a model, so detailed are the displays.
Another attraction, explains the beginning of the Netherlands in 1572. Hof van Nederland (Dutch Court) is located at the rear of the property and unlike the small-scale displays, is life sized. The best part of the entire park, however, is that the entirety of the net proceeds from the park go towards various charities in the Netherlands!
Watching Banksy Does New York with my children, I was fascinated. People scrutinize the internet in order to find his pieces, located on walls, streets, bridges and self-built prop pieces in cities throughout the world, before they are removed or defaced. Some are just quick stencils on the sides of buildings. Some have moving parts or actually move through the city, but most have strong political and social statements and almost all are quite humorous.
The displays were split between the upper and lower floors of the museum, and was combined with an exhibit on Salvador Dali on the basement floor. Starting on the top floor, first stopping to admire his piece, Forgive Us For Our Trespassing on the staircase landing, we made our way through each of the themed rooms, Anti-capitalism, Laugh Now, Weaponry, There Is Always Hope and CCTV highlighting some of his classics like Laugh Now and Girl with Balloon.
Not a very large museum, it is filled with replicas of famous jewels, some old equipment used in processing diamonds, information on the history of the diamond industry in Amsterdam and the diamond influence on fashion, entertainment and everyday life.
Although much of the museum was devoted to displays, it was interesting to learn about the history of the diamond industry. My favorite part of the museum, however, was the space devoted to stories detailing famous jewel heists. Another fascinating part was the exhibit on historical crowns decorated with diamonds. The crowns were well displayed, colorful and a highlight of the mediocrity of the gallery.
