Cusco Cathedral

The Catedral Basílica de la Virgen de la Asunción dominates the north-east side of the Plaza de Armas and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Cusco. It was built on the site of Kiswarkancha, the palace of the Inca ruler Viracocha, next to the Suntur Wasi, an Inca armoury. Together with the smaller Triunfo church beside it, which was raised in 1538 over the Suntur Wasi, the cathedral complex covers about 3,920 square metres.

Building took more than a century. Work began in the 1530s and 1550s under the first bishop, Vicente de Valverde, passed through several architects, including Juan Miguel de Veramendi, Juan Correa and Francisco Becerra, and was largely completed under Miguel Gutiérrez Sencio in 1654, when the first mass was celebrated on 15 August. The earthquake of 1650 damaged the vault and led to changes to the upper facade and the towers. The cathedral was consecrated in 1668 and named a minor basilica in 1928. Red granite blocks from Sacsayhuamán were reused in its construction.

The exterior is Renaissance in style while the interior is Baroque, with late Gothic and Plateresque touches. Inside are three naves, 14 cruciform pillars and 24 ribbed vaults of andesite. The cathedral is one of the best places in the city to see paintings of the Cusco School, the local tradition of colonial religious art, along with colonial goldsmiths' work and carved wooden altars. Look for the image of the Señor de los Temblores, the Lord of the Earthquakes, which is deeply venerated in the city, and for a 17th-century painting showing Cusco during the 1650 earthquake. Diego Quispe Tito's series of canvases of the parables of Christ, completed in 1681, is another highlight, as is the Cross of the Conquest on the main altar. On the doors, a carved jaguar head hints at the meeting of Inca and Christian symbolism.

The upper choir is reached through the Triunfo church, and the complex is often visited as one route. As an active cathedral, it holds services, so be respectful of worshippers and dress modestly.

The cathedral is on the Plaza de Armas, the natural starting point for any walk around the historic centre. The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús stands on the same square, and the Twelve-Angled Stone and the San Blas quarter are a few minutes uphill. Check current visiting hours locally, as they can change around religious services and festivals.