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Cusco

Cusco dates back to 1200 AD and is linked to the first Inca ruler Manco Capac. Its main period of expansion occurred in the 15th century under the rule of the Inca Pachacuti, who was responsible for the growth of the Inca Empire as far south as Chile and Argentina, and north to Ecuador and Columbia. The empire came to an abrupt end on the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, under Francisco Pizarro who executed the Inca Atahaulpa and occupied Cusco in 1534. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century until the Spanish arrived although it was an Inca rebellion by Manco Inca in 1536 which led to its destruction and to its rebuilding by the Spanish.  This started a cultural mix that left its imprint on every aspect of Peruvian culture, something that is especially noticeable in Cusco.

One of the most noticeable things about the architecture of Cusco are the Inca walls constructed of enormous granite blocks which are shaped to fit together perfectly in a puzzle pattern and laid without the aid of mortar. The Inca architecture has survived numerous earthquakes which reduced much of the Spanish colonial architecture constructed on top of the Inca walls. 

The church of Santa Domingo was built in the 17th century on the walls of the Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun. This has some of the finest stone work which is still visible in the curved wall beneath the west end of the Church. In Inca times the walls of the Qorikancha were lined with gold sheets. A number of other temples can still be seen with their exquisite stonework and niches along the walls for the mummies of the dead Inca rulers. One of the most famous pieces of stonework, due to its size and incredible workmanship is the 12-angle block to be found in the north wall of the palace of Inca Roca, the sixth Inca.

The Cathedral which dominates the north-east side of the city’s main square was constructed on the foundations of the Inca Viracocha's palace. The Cathedral, constructed in the shape of a Latin cross, was begun in 1550 and completed nearly 100 years later. The three-aisled nave is supported by fourteen massive pillars and has ten chapels surrounding it these contain a large selection of artworks. In 1959 the Cathedral was damaged by a large earthquake and in 1983 Cusco became a World Heritage Site.

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Sacred Valley of the Incas

The Sacred Valley of the Incas or Urubamba Valley was formed by the Urubamba River and stretches from the old Inca capital of Cusco to below the sacred city of Machu Picchu. Within the valley are many historical and archaeological sites including Pisac, famous for its market; Tambomachay, which is believed to a site for ritual bathing for the nobility; Urubamba; Qenqo the carved rock complex with its labyrinth of passages which are believed to have been connected to fertility; and the Inca temples and fortress of Ollantaytambo situated at the top of steep terracing which provided excellent defences. The fortress was the only place to resist a Spanish attack. Following the Manco Inca’s defeat at Sacsayhuaman after the unsuccessful siege of Cusco in 1536 the Inca retreated to Ollantaytambo and held off Francisco Pizarro's younger brother Hernando, eventually forcing him to retreat by flooding the plains below. The stone used for these buildings was brought from a quarry on the opposite side of the Urubamba River. The complex was still under construction at the time of the conquest and was never completed.

Sacsayhuaman is a magnificent Inca fortress whose ramparts consist of three large parallel walls zigzagging for over 400m.  It is believed to have originated around the time of Pachacuti the man who founded the Inca Empire and built Machu Picchu. The walls consist of blocks of up 8.5m high and weighing nearly 300 tonnes are fitted together with incredible accuracy. Following the rebellion by Manco Inca in 1536 the Inca held Sacsayhuaman as a base in the siege of Cusco until the Spanish broke out and captured the fortress killing all its’ defenders.