Cusco - Culture

Cusco lies in exceptionally beautiful Andean countryside, 3400 meters above sea level. Most of countryside streets are lined with massive stone walls built by the Incas and now form the foundations of the Colonial Cusco. There are many places to visit; the Plaza de Armas, The Cathedral, numerous colonial churches much more ornate and better preserved than in other cities, also museums, workshops and numerous Inca sites.

The tourist axis of the south has as its center the city of Cusco , the ancient capital of the Incas , considered the archaeological capital of South America. In the city of Cusco , as in no other place , the complexity of the hybrid culture borne of the mixture of Spanish and Inca , can be appreciated , specially in the fusion between Inca ruins and Spanish colonial architecture.

There are ancient Indian sanctuary of SACSAYHUAMAN, The amphitheater of QENQO, the fortress of PUKA PUKARA and the spring-shrine of TAMBOMACHAY also the City's CATHEDRAL with magnificent colonial art and the KORIKANCHA which displays the best Inca stonework in Cusco.

The Koricancha is a fine example of how the the fusion of Inca style and Colonial styles of architecture evolved into the Cusco of today. Originally the site was a ceremonial center featuring a number of stone rectangular buildings laid out as to be the convergence of ley lines connected to numerous "huacas" or power spots. On the Summer Solstice sun light from the opening in one of the rooms illuminates a specific niche in which sits the Inca chief. The rooms were adorned with elaborate gold ceremonial objects including a huge gold sun disk which was considered sacred. After the Spanish Conquest much of the structure was torn down and reassembled as the Church of Santa Domingo. A considerable amount of the original Inca structure was left intact and integrated into the church structure.

The "Corpus Christi " festivity occupies an important place in the city's festivity calendar; it is one of the most pompous religious parties in the country. For this opportunity the city is very well attended by people coming from many other regions. Origins of this festivity go back to 1247, when in Saint Michael of Lieja (Belgium) it was first celebrated. "Corpus Christi" means "Jesus Christ's Body" and was instituted in order to solemnly commemorate the institution of " Holy Eucharist" that besides, represented Jesus Christ's body. It is carried out next Thursday after the Pentecost octave, that is, next Thursday after the Holy Trinity festivity which is the Thursday counting nine weeks after Holy Thursday. It was established in the Peruvian Andes after 1533 but instituted officially in Qosqo by Viceroy Toledo in 1572, by means of his famous "Ordinances. The Corpus Christi festivity is important among the common population inhabiting jurisdiction of the different parishes in Qosqo. Preparations are begun many weeks and even months in advance, for which there is a traditional organization led by the majordomo or "carguyoq". He is the person that accepted the charge, responsibility or obligation in order to afford most of the festivity's expenses. Those expenses include among other items masses, new clothing for the Parish Virgin or Saint, contract for a musical band or "q'aperos" that will escort the procession, a folk band for the party, food for guests, rum, chicha and beer, souvenirs, etc. In many cases the expenses are shared with some other persons that committed themselves to do that by means of the "hurk'a", that is, the system by which people are visited with enormous wheat breads as gifts so by accepting them, they will promise to give or pay something for the party.