Attraction
Sacsayhuamán
The great Inca complex on the hill above Cusco, famed for zigzag terrace walls of huge, precisely fitted stones and a plaza still used for Inti…
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
The Jesuit church on the Plaza de Armas, rebuilt after the 1650 earthquake with a Baroque stone facade and a gilded cedar altarpiece over 20 metres high.
At a glance
- Type
- Jesuit Baroque church
- Area
- Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
Good to know
- Baroque facade
- Gilded altarpiece
- Colonial paintings
Why we recommend it
The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús stands on the Plaza de Armas, almost side by side with the Cathedral. It occupies the site of Amarucancha, the palace of the Inca ruler Huayna Capac, and like many colonial buildings in Cusco it rests on solid Inca foundations. The Jesuits arrived in the city in January 1571 and founded their college and first church that year.
The first church was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1650 and later demolished. Rebuilding began in August 1651, the nave vault was finished in 1653 and the new church was completed in 1673. Its ambition caused a stir: in 1656 critics objected that the design was so bold it would diminish the dignity of the nearby Cathedral. The viceroy sided with the Jesuits, though the Bishop of Cusco took the dispute further. The order was expelled in 1767, but the church remains one of the city's great colonial monuments.
The Baroque facade, carved in pink basalt and andesite, is framed by two bell towers, with three Corinthian columns on each side of the main door and a statue of the Virgin Mary in a niche above it. Inside, a single nave with ribbed vaults follows the plan of the Gesù, the mother church of the Jesuits in Rome. The main altarpiece is the showpiece: about 21 metres high and 12 metres wide, carved in cedar, covered in gold leaf and set with Solomonic columns around a canvas of the Transfiguration. There are works by Marcos Zapata, Cipriano Gutiérrez and Diego de la Puente.
Look for the painting on the north wall of the wedding of Martín García de Loyola, a Spanish captain, and Beatriz Clara Coya, an Inca noblewoman, which also shows Túpac Amaru and Sayri Túpac. It is one of the most discussed images of colonial Peru, since it presents the union of Spanish and Inca nobility. The small Chapel of San Ignacio de Loyola to the south is now used as an exhibition space, and the Chapel of the Indians, dedicated to the Virgin of Loreto, sits alongside.
The former Jesuit college next door now houses the National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot, whose cloister holds a natural sciences museum. The church is part of the World Heritage historic centre, and is easy to combine with the Cathedral across the square and with Qorikancha a short walk downhill.
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús FAQs
Where is the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús?
On the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, close to the Cathedral.
What Inca building was on the site?
Amarucancha, described as the palace of the Inca ruler Huayna Capac.
When was the present church built?
Rebuilding began in 1651 after the 1650 earthquake, and the church was completed in 1673.
What is the main highlight inside?
The gilded cedar main altarpiece, about 21 metres high, with Solomonic columns and a canvas of the Transfiguration.
Which painting should you look for?
The wedding of Martín García de Loyola and the Inca noblewoman Beatriz Clara Coya on the north wall.
Why was the church controversial?
In 1656 critics argued its bold design would diminish the nearby Cathedral; the viceroy ruled in the Jesuits' favour.
What is next door?
The former Jesuit college, now the National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot, with a natural sciences museum in its cloister.
Is it part of the World Heritage Site?
Yes, it is part of the historic centre of Cusco inscribed in 1983.