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"The Inca Trail is not for me"

Visiting Peru

Annette
2005-08-29 23:19:47

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in their Empire:

Crops, population, taxes, weapons were among the items recorded"

Cusco's importance waned rather quickly after the invasion. The Spaniards were a seafaring nation, and needed a capitol by the sea. Once looted of the gold and silver treasures, Cusco lost its luster for the Spaniards. Most of the Inca's treasures were shipped to the King and Queen of Spain who had them melted down because they represented heathen gods. One wants to add almost gleefully that all the precious metal that was taken out of Peru, and all the artifacts that were melted down, created such a glut of gold and silver in the Old World that it lead to a deep economic recession there. Not surprisingly, even today, Cusco has nothing noteworthy on display in its regional History Museum. Actually, the word "museum" is a bit of an exaggeration. Other than a careless assemblage of display cases with objects not good enough for the museums in Lima, there is hardly anything in this desolate, poorly kept place. However, it does provide employment for numerous guards, their purpose clearly lost on me.

However, there is no shortage of Colonial Art in Cusco. The finest of it is displayed in the town's main cathedral on the Plaza de Armas. There are many fine examples of the "Cusco School" of painting, which combines European styles with Indian influence. A wooden and a silver altar, as well as a beautifully carved choir can be seen here. During hours of worship, the cathedral is officially closed to tourists.

There are still a number of well-preserved Inca ruins within Cusco. The main ruin is Coricancha, whose base forms the Church of Santo Domingo. It used to be an important Inca temple, its walls covered with gold. Curved walls and trapezoidal architecture with walls that are perfectly tapered upwards are in a part of the temple dedicated to the Stars and the Moon. Smaller temples were dedicated ...