Day 6: Peru, Cusco Guided Cathedral Tour

Our package included a tour of the Cathedral Basilica of Cusco (otherwise known as the Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption) and the Temple of the Sun, plus a seven block walk in-between.

From the side entrance, in front of the
original chapel, we could see a number of other steeples representing the different Catholic denominations.  Jesuits. Dominican. Franciscan. Etc. There are 18 churches in Cusco, ten of which are in the center of town. As a Presbyterian, I tend to think of them all as the same, but in Lima I learned they are each quite separate, proudly so.

From 1560 to 1654, The cathedral took 94 years to build, 130 if you include the artwork on the inside. It has suffered two major earthquakes (1650 and 1950). There are a number of different art styles represented including Renaissance, Baroque, neo-classic, gothic, and Incan. 

This is an active place of worship. From 6 am to 10 am it is only open to those worshipping. From 10 am to 6 pm it is open for tours.

The next part of this post will be exceptionally word heavy because we were not allowed to take any pictures inside the cathedral. I'm glad we had a guide because without him I would not have notice the details. The cathedral was inspired by the Spanish, but built by the Incans.

Ninety percent of Peruvians are Catholic. Of that, twenty percent practice a mixture of Incan and Catholicism. They do hold services in the ancient Quechuan language of the Incans. This is the largest church in all of South America, if you don't count Mexico, it is the largest in America (upon hearing this, I had flashbacks to guides in Australia telling us different places were the largest ... in the Southern Hemisphere.)

There is a fee to enter the building. This has been covered by our original booking fees.

The church has two smaller churches around it: on the right (when we first enter) is the Spanish named, Church of Triumph, meaning their triumph over the Incans. On the left, as we exited, is the Church of the Holy Family.

Much of what appears to be gold is really gilded, either gilded cedar or, in the case of the altar, gilded granite. On the altar is the Conquest/Invasion cross.

This church made a point of fusing the Incan and Spanish Christian traditions. There is the traditional white European Jesus spread out on the cross wearing a loin cloth and looking up to heaven, but there is also the Incan Jesus. He looks downward to Mother Earth (Pachamama) and is wearing an Incan-style gold dress. His skin is darker. He looks like and Incan king.

Jose pointed to an effigy on a different wall. This one is made by someone from Cusco. The head is small, the arms are extra large. The proportions are all wrong. Much of the iconography was made by locals. 

We are seated in front of the three-paneled chapel "Christ of the Earthquake," as so nicknamed by the locals. The chapel has fresh flowers, mostly gladiolas, which are replenished every Thursday. The Jesus's skirts are also replaced on Thursdays. We are touring on a Monday, about halfway through their life. Christ of the Earthquake was made in Cusco in 1585. It was originally placed in the main entrance. It stopped the 1650 earthquake in its tracks, thus earning the name. Before that, it was referred to as "Christ of the Good Death" because the funerals took place in front of him. He is also called "Black Jesus." The Black coloring comes from the soot of the candles they used to burn near him. They have since restored his body. The crown and nails are made from 18/20 carat gold. In the 1980s the crown disappeared. They never did find out who was responsible for the crime. In 1992 a builder recognized it in the Vatican and called them out on it. This is the patron saint of Cusco. The holy day procession ends here on Holy Monday. He is surrounded by Mary on his right (our left) and St. John the Baptist on his left, or what someone else in our group said is more likely John the one he loved the most. Jesus's hair is natural, sourced from the same local place. 

We headed to the Choir Room. The entire space is carved out of cedar from Machu Picchu. The room is 10 by 10. It is three sections tall -- each section representing a different history. Most of the artists here, and throughout the church, are anonymous students from the Cusco School of Art. There are also five organs from Belgium in the 1700s that have been restored by the French and are still used for special occasions. 

We move next to the main altar piece. This 1800s neo-classical piece stands in front of the original wooden altar, which is carved in the Primitive style. The newer one is silver plated and weighs about 1000 kilograms (2200 pounds). Of note, this altar (and others in the church) have mirrors. Mirrors are not typically allowed in European churches because of vanity. This altar was decorated by locals. To them, mirrors represent water and is very important to their culture.

Both the Peru and Vatican flags are represented. Again we heard how proud they are of Pope Leo because he used to live in Peru.

The 1700s Silver Chapel used to be carried during festivals. Now it is pushed. It is carved in cedar and plated in silver. It must weigh a lot. Other objects next to it are made from solid silver. 

We poked under the altar to see the crypt where the obispos, or bishops, have been laid to rest. The oldest bishop died in 1819. The most recent in 2013. 

The most famous painting in the cathedral is of the last supper. On the way out, Don bought a postcard so I could study it more. Unlike Leonardo daVinci's Last  Supper, this one has the disciples seated around an oval-shaped table. Jesus is recognizable in the center, as is Judas. Judas is darker, looks evil, and is holding a bag of coins. He looks a bit like the conquestidor Fransicso, a bit of resistance through art. I know someone better versed in art history would be able to identify the others. I'm guessing John, the one Jesus loved the most, is on his left (should be the right) because he is the only one without a beard even though he lived the longest. 

The painting has some Peruvian twists. In the center is what appears to be a guinea pig on the platter. Guinea pigs were ceremonial animals in the Incan tradition. There are other local foods represented on the table: corn, passion fruit, chilis, papayas, coca leaves, etc. They appear to be drinking grenadine, a digestive. The artist is Marcos Sapata.

We moved to the third section of the church: Chapel of the Holy Family. The altar was built over 25 years during the 1700s. It is gilded cedar wood in the Andean Baroque style. This is the only chapel that allows weddings.

Exiting through the gift shop (of course), we step outside. Jose tells us about the two big public executions that took place in the square. The first was in 1572 when Vilcambama, the last Incan king, was beheaded. The next was in 1781 with the dismemberment of a descendent of Incan nobility.

Moving on ... we walked seven blocks to the Temple of the Sun.

Jose pointed out the stonework. The original Incan stonework does not have any mortar between the stones. It has withstood the 1650 and 1950 earthquakes. We paused at the 12-sided stone. It is good to take pictures again.

In the Incan days only the nobility lived in Cusco. Everyone else was outside the city.

During the 1500s a Civil War broke out between two brothers. One thought Cusco was the center of the earth, the other thought it was what we now call Quito in Ecuador. Quito (on the equator) is the right answer. The area was prime for being conquered by the Spanish invaders. 

We went past the site of an Incan site, possibly one used for rituals and ceremonies. There are Incan walls, and a trapezoid doorway. It is a great example of Incan urban planning, as there are canals for water and narrow streets.

Jose points out other examples of Incan architecture that is still standing, even as more modern buildings around them crumbled in earthquakes.

 Our next tour was of the Temple of the Sun. I'll pick up there.