Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Religious Imagery in Cusco, Peru


Christian symbols are everywhere in and around Cusco.

There are a number of iglesias worth exploring, but the most magnificent is Cathedral -- beautiful inside and out. It has restricted hours for the public, so plan your visit. I also recommend the small church of San Blas, which is a small adobe building. It has a large wooden pulpit (apparently carved from a single block of wood) that you can spend about 45 minutes looking at.

The picture on the left is outside San Francisco (the church). San Francisco has its own square (the Plaza de San Francisco) which is less populated than the Plaza de Armas. It has a cupola with golden windows, which are magnificent as the sun goes down (though nearly impossible to photograph well).

The picture on the upper right is Cristo Blanco, visible from everywhere in Cusco, as it sits high on the northern hills. I don't know its exact height, but I would estimate about 10 meters (approx. 30 feet).