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Cusco - CUZ

  • Catedral en la Plaza Mayor de Cuzco - Perú
    Catedral en la Plaza Mayor de Cuzco - Perú

The city of the Cusco (quechua: Qusqu, Qosqo), of Peru is the capital of the Cusco department. It is located in the South mountain range of the country. At the moment it has approximately three hundred thousand inhabitants. Patrimony of the Humanity in 1983 by UNESCO was declared. He was capital of Empire Inca and is considered the capital historical of Peru.

General performances

  • Official Topónimo: Cusco Also called: Imperial City
  • Location: : - Latitude 13º 30' ' S - Length 71º 58 '' W
  • Altitude: 3399 m.s.n.m
  • Foundation: 15 of November of 1533
  • Population: : - Total 300,000 hab. approx.
  • Gentilicio:Cusqueño

Etimología

Topónimo of the city was quechua Qosqo or Qusqu. The tradition affirms that it means center, navel, belt. This because, according to mythology Inca, in her they down came together the world of (Uku Pacha) with the visible world (Kay Pacha) and the superior world (Hanan Pacha). This way, the city was and is called the navel of the world, in reference to the universe.

To the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, its name happens to the Castilian like Cusco, as it appears in the maps of centuries XVI, XVII and XVIII. In some maps of century XIX (from 1814) and XX (until at least 1976) it appears the name of this city written like Cuzco. Today, in the Peruvian official cartography, it appears the original name in Spanish, although it is continued using commonly the other form in other countries of Castilian speech.

Article 49º of the Political Constitution of the Peru of 1993, when establishing the historical capital of the country, indicates that the correct form of writing is Cusco. Whereas the Municipal Council of the Cusco (from the 23 of June of 1990) approves the agreement municipal n° 078, by which he arranged himself: "To institute the use of the Qosqo name, in substitution of the Cusco word, all documents of the Municipal Government of the Cusco".

Attractive Tourist of Cusco

By its antiquity and importance, downtown conserves many buildings, seats and streets of Hispanic times as well as colonial constructions, which motivated to that outside declared Patrimony of the Humanity in 1983 by UNESCO. Between the main sites of interest of the city they are:

District of San Blas

This district where the craftsmen, factories and stores of crafts concentrate themselves, is one of the most colorful sites of the city. Their streets are raised and narrow with old large houses constructed by the Spaniards on important incaicos foundations. It has an attractive small square and the oldest parish of the Cusco built in 1563, that has a púlpito of carved wood considered as the Maxima expression of the colonial time cusqueña. The Incaico name of this district is the one of TOQOCACHI that means the hollow of the Salt.

Street Hatun Rumiyuq

This one is visited by the tourists. In the street Hatun Rumiyoq ("Of the Greater Rock") was the palace of Inca Rock, that at the moment belongs to the Archiepiscopal Palace. In this street that goes from the seat of Arms to the district of San Blas, the enigmatic stone of the twelve angles can be appreciated.

Convent and Church of the Favor

Due to earthquakes had in this city, the Convent and church of the Favor have been reconstructed more of once. Originally it dates from century XVI. Their claustros of Renaissance baroque style particularly emphasize as well as the colonial ashlar masonry of the choir, paintings and wood statures. Also a safekeeping of gold and precious stones of 22 kilos of weight and 130 centimeters of height can be seen.

Cathedral of the Cusco

In fact, the first cathedral of the Cusco is the Church of the Triumph, constructed in 1539 on the base of the palace of the Viracocha Inca. At the present time, this church is an auxiliary chapel of the Cathedral. Between years 1560 and 1664 cathedral of this city was constructed to the basilica. For it, the Spaniards made bring granite blocks of red color from the well-known strength like Sacsayhuamán. This cathedral, of Renaissance facade and interiors baroque and plateresco, has one of the most outstanding samples of orfebrería colonial. Important they are also its carved wood altars. Since in this city School were developed to the painting on linen cloths in the call "cusqueña of painting", indeed in the cathedral important samples of local artists of the time can be observed.

Seat of Arms

Awqaypata or seat of the soldier was called in time of the Incas. This seat has been the scene of diverse important facts in the history of this city, as the proclamation on the part of Francisco Pizarro of the conquest of the Cusco. Also, the Seat of Arms was the scene of the death of Túpac Amaru II, considered like the indigenous caudillo of the resistance. The Spaniards constructed in the seat a stone arcade, that lasts to date. Here they are the Cathedral and the church of the Company.

Church of the Company

This church whose construction initiated the jesuitas in 1576 on the bases of the Amarucancha or palace of the Inca Huayna Cápac, is considered one of the best samples of the colonial baroque style of the continent. Its facade is of carved stone, as it is possible to be appreciated in the photo, and its greater altar is of wood carved and had with gold bread. It was constructed on an underground chapel. Additionally, they emphasize two chapels, that of Lourdes and old oratorio of San Ignacio de Loyola. This temple has a valuable colonial linen cloth collection of the Cusqueña School.

Coricancha and Convento of Santo Domingo

The Qoricancha was the most important sanctuary dedicated to the God Sun at the time of the Empire Inca. This temple was called the gold site since all their walls had been covered with gold laminae by the Incas. Having this structure as it bases, the Convent of Santo Domingo, Renaissance style was constructed here. The construction, of a single tower barroca, exceeds in height the other constructions of this city. In its interior is an important painting collection of the School cusqueña of painting

Saqsayhuaman

The strength of Saqsayhuaman is one of but the important constructions Incas. Located in the high part of the City of the Cusco, vision of the City has one that makes think that it was a containment and sentry post against the attacks of the enemies. Its construction this done, like mayoria of constructions Incas, on the basis of worked stones, which fit perfectly with others without concerning their size. Also in Saqsayhuaman the figure of a Christ with the brasos opened with the glance can be appreciated towards the city of the Cusco. Although this image is neither of epoca Inca nor of the one of the Spanish conquest, is a sample of the religiosidad of the Andean town.

Pukapukara

It was a species of warehouse for the products that arrived at the Cusco from the Valley of the Rio Urubamba.

Tambomachay

This construction is well-known like the Baths of the Inca, but there are some that maintain that in fact treatment of a temple of adoration to the water.

Pisac

Small town to borders of rio Urubamba, where by tradition a dominical fair is made, where products between the different towns from the area interchange. In addition, due to the great affluence of tourists also artesania can be bought and other nonagricolas products. The town of Pisac is on the foot of a hill where are ruins of epoca incaica. It is a good experience to go early to the ruins in the morning and soon lowering of them to occur to a stroll by the town and its fair

Ollantaytambo:

Imposing incaica construction that according to the investigators cumplio several functions, from storage of grains and esplanades of culture, to sentry post of the valley.

Machu Picchu:

It is the sample but important of the greatness of the Incaico Empire, ciudadela is one located in a hill to piedel Rio Urubamba (Vilcanota) in way towards the Peruvian forest. Due to its location, in forest eyebrow, its discovery was very dificil. It was not until beginnings of the Century XX in which Hiram Bingham descubrio these ruins in an expedition by the valley of rio Urubamba.

 

History

Foundation and incaica time

Two indigenous legend attributes their foundation to their first Chief of State, a legendary personage called Manco Cápac, next to their sister and consorte Mama Ocllo. In both one affirms that the place was revealed by the God sun (Inti) to the founders after a peregrination initiated to the south of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in search of the exact place.

By archaeological and anthropological data it has been studied the true process of the occupation of the Cusco. Concenso aims at that, due to the collapse of the kingdom of Taypiqala the migration of its town took place. This group of near 500 men would have settled down gradually in the valley of the Huatanay river, process that would culminate with the foundation of the Cusco. The approximate date is not known but thanks to vestiges remember that the location where the city is located already found lived 3000 years ago. Nevertheless, considering solely its location as capital of the Empire Inca (half-full of century XIII) the Cusco appears like the inhabited city older of all America.

It was the capital and host of government of the Kingdom of the Incas and it continued it being when beginning the imperial time, becoming the most important city of the $andes. This centralism gave height him and it became the main cultural center and axis of the religious cult.

The salary is attributed to Pachacútec governor made of the Cusco a spiritual and political center. Pachacútec arrived at the power in 1438, and he and their son Túpac Yupanqui dedicated to five decades to the organization and conciliation of the different tribal groups under their dominion, among them the Lupaca and the Colla. During the period of Pachacútec and Túpac Yupanqui, the dominion of Cusco arrived until Quito, to the north, and until the Maule river, to the south, integrated culturally to the inhabitants of 4,500 km of mountainous chains.

Also one thinks that the original design of the city is work of Pachacútec. The plane of the old Cusco has form of puma delineated, with the central seat Haucaypata in the position that would occupy the chest of the animal. The head of the feline would be located in the hill where it is the strength of Sacsayhuamán. The Incas organized their administrative division so that the limits of the four regions of the empire agreed in the main seat of the Cusco.

Spanish foundation and virreinal time

The Spanish conquerors knew from their arrival to which it is today Peruvian territory that its goal was to take the city of the Cusco, capital of the empire. After capturing the Atahualpa Inca in Cajamarca, they initiated his march towards the Cusco. On the way they founded many cities. The fight by the capital city was bloody but, like in the other confrontations, the conquerors managed to become of the victory. The 15 of November of 1533, Francisco Pizarro founded to usanza Spanish the city of the Cusco, establishing like Seat of Arms the lease that still maintains the city modern and that it was also the main seat during the incanato and that was surrounded by the palaces of those who were the sovereign Incas. In the lot that it gives to the north it initiated the construction of the Cathedral. Pizarro granted to the Cusco the denomination of "Cusco, Noble and Big City" the 23 of March of 1534.

You sobreblow them of the incaico Empire maintained a fight during the first years of the colony, in 1536 Manco Inca it initiated his confrontations and it created the dynasty of the Incas of Vilcabamba. This dynasty found its aim in 1572 when the last Inca Túpac Amaru I was defeated, captured and beheaded.

The city became an important commercial and cultural center of central the $andes since it was in the routes between Lima and Buenos Aires. Nevertheless, the virreinal administration preferred the lease of Lima mainly (founded two years after Cusco command post 1535) and the proximity of this one with the natural harbor of which it would be the Callao to establish the head of his dominions in South America. The city already is mentioned in the first map known on Peru.

Cusco was taken like head of the virreinal administration in the south of the country, being in its beginnings the lease of more importance in damage of the cities recently founded of Arequipa or Moquegua. Its population was mainly of natives pertaining to the incaica aristocracy to those who it was respected some of his fueros and privileges to them. Also they took root a good number of Spaniards. At that time it initiated the process of cultural mestization that today marks the city.

The urban development was interrupted by several earthquakes that in more than an occasion destroyed the city. In 1650 a violent earthquake destroyed almost all the colonial buildings. During this earthquake the efigie of the Gentleman of the Tremors obtained great importance who still today is removed annually in procession.

In 1780 the city of the Cusco was convulsionada by the movement initiated by the cacique Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui, Túpac Amaru II that rose against the Spanish administration. Its rise was choked after several months of fight in which it put in check to the bet virreinales authorities in the Cusco. Túpac Amaru was overcome, taken prisionario and executed cruel next to all its family in the Seat from Arms of the Cusco. Still today it subsists, to the flank of the Church of the Company of Jesus the chapel that served from prison when prócer. This movement expanded quickly by all the $andes and marked the beginning of the South American emancipador process.

In century XIX, another rise against the virreinal administration took place in the Cusco. Brigadier Mateo Pumacahua, mestizo cusqueño that had enfretado to the forces of Túpac Amaru II, initiated another movement along with the Angulo brothers to obtain the independence of Peru. This rise also was choked

Republican time

Peru declared its independence in 1821 and the city of the Cusco maintained its importance within the administrative political organization of the country. In effect, the department of the Cusco was created that even included the amazonian territories until the limit with Brazil. The city was the capital of this department and the most important city of the south this Andean.

As of century XX, the city initiated an urban development in a greater rate than the experimented one until that moment. The city extended to the neighboring districts of Santiago and Wanchaq.

In 1911, it left from the city the expedition of Hiram Bingham that took to discover it the incaicas ruins of Machu Picchu

Decorations

  • In 1933 the Congress of Americanistas made in the city of the Silver, Argentina declared to the city like "Archaeological Capital of America".
  • Later, in 1978, 7ma. Convention of Mayors of the Great World-wide Cities, made in the Italian city of Milan declared to the Cusco like the "Cultural Inheritance of the World".
  • Finally, UNESCO in Paris, France specially declared to the city and to its historical center like "Cultural Patrimony of Humanity" the 9 of December of 1983.
  • The Peruvian State, in agreement, declared to the Cusco the 22 of December of 1983, by means of Law Nº 23765 like the "Tourist Capital of Peru" and "Cultural Patrimony of the Nation".
  • At the moment, the Political Constitution of 1993 declares to the Cusco like the "Historical Capital of Peru".

The present time

In 1950 another earthquake shook to the city causing the destruction of more of a third of all its buildings. The city began to constitute itself as an important center of tourism and began to receive a greater number of tourists.

From the years 1990s, the tourist activity volume a special paper in the economy of the city with the consequent extension of hotel activities. At the moment the Cusco is the main tourist destiny of Peru. On the other hand the city maintains its growth urban, extending at the moment also to the districts of San Sebastián and San Jero'nimo.

Geography

Cusco expands by in the valley that forms the Huatanay river and by bordering hills. Its climate is generally dry and tempering. It has two defined stations: one of droughts between April and October, with sunny days, nights you cold and temperature average of 13° C; and another rainy one, of November to March, temperature average 12° C. In the sunny days the temperature reaches 20° C.

Political organization

Local government

The city, like capital of the province homónima, is governed by the Provincial Municipality of the Cusco that has competition in all the territory of the province. An authority restricted to the city does not exist. In that sense, municipalides distritales of Santiago, Wanchaq and San Sebastian also have competition in subjects relative to their own districts.

Political government

The city, in its quality of departmental capital, is Regional seat of the government of the Cusco Also has a prefect with political attributions in the departmental scope. Finally, she is host also of the different Regional addresses from the ministries that conform the Public Administration.

Judicial function

Cusco is host of of the Superior Court of Justice of the Cusco, governing being of the Judicial District of the Cusco. According to the judicial organization of the country, in the territory of the city of the Cusco eight courts of peace work (five pertaining ones to the district of Cusco, one to the district of Santiago, one to the district from Wanchaq and one to the district of San Sebastian). Seventeen specialized courts (two of family, four civilians, six penitentiaries, one labor and three compounds) and five superior rooms (two penitentiaries and two civilians and one mixed one).

Symbols

Like several Peruvian cities of the world and, the Cusco has three established symbols officially, its flag, the shield and the Hymn of the Cusco. The use of these symbols occurs specially in the month of June since day 24 of June, day in which the incaica celebration of the Inti Raymi is commemorated, the day of the city is also celebrated.

With respect to the Shield, a duplicity of symbols exists at the present time since although the city it counts on the carlista shield with more than 450 years of antiquity, in the last years the Provincial Municipality of the Cusco has preferred the use of the Sun of Echenique like shield of the Cusco because their characteristics talk about more to the incaico past of the city that to the colonial past. This shield is used as seal of security for the tickets again Sun that circulate at the present time.

Economy

The main economic activity of its inhabitants is the reception of the tourism. It is the only city of this country that has and maintains use total. But without leaving of side, the important contribution from agriculture to this city, in special, the maize.

Education

Schools deprived public and

* Total: 4.302
* Initial education: 2.008
* Primary education: 1.743
* Secondary education: 399

The city of the Cusco tells on of the older educative institutions of the country as it is the national school San Francisco de Borja, located in a hill a block of the Seat of Arms. This school first was founded by the Spanish conquerors on this city and was destined for the education of the children of the Iberian inhabitants. Also, on the first years of the republican life, the Simón liberator Bolivar founded the National School of Sciences who was during a many paradigmática institution in the education cusqueña and national.

At the moment the city tells on several educative institutions that they cover the primary levels and secundarios.Actualmente the city counts on several educative institutions that they cover the primary and secondary levels, emphasizing particular the religious schools San Francisco de Asi's (with more than 300 years), Salesiano (with more than 100 years) and the Salle.

Universities

* National University San Antonio Abbot.
* Andean university of the Cusco.

Technological Superior Institutes

* Superior Institute Technological Public "Tupac Amaru".

Pedagogical Superior Institutes

* Pedagogical Superior Institute Deprived "Uriel Garci'a".

Population

The population of the city is mainly racially mixed and indigenous (Inca, mainly) the city lives a process of demographic explosion caused by the height on the tourism. The city has a population of 319.422 inhabitants to year 2002 according to the INEI.

Religious center

The Cusco was the center of the state cult to the Sun, seat of the main temple of the solar religion, the Coricancha (in Castilian) or Qurikancha (quechua: gold enclosure), having the main Aqllawasi or house of the chosen ones of the sun, and the seats of the funeral clans of different dead emperors or Panakas, being in addition the place to habitual residence of the governing Inca, a living God, and of the high state clergy, represented by the Willka umu or extreme priest. The Cusco welcomed the great multitudinal ceremonies and imperial festividades, like the Inti Raymi or Fiesta of the Sun that continues taking place during the winter solstice - the New Year lot which is celebrated all the 24 of June in the Esplanade of Sacsayhuamán.

Transports and communications

The city of the Cusco counts on a small international airport, the Airport the International Alexander Velasco Astete who receives daily flights of Lima, Arequipa, Port Maldonado and Juliaca. Also it receives international flights from La Paz, Bolivia and Santiago, Chile. This airport is the second of the country with greater aerial traffic after the Airport the International Jorge Chávez of Lima. Also it is connected by railroad with the cities of Puno and Arequipa. Finally, by highway, one is connected with the cities of Port Maldonado, Arequipa, Abancay and Puno. The route that úne with the city of Abancay is fastest to more arrive at the capital city after a trip of than 20 hours being crossed the departments of Apurímac, Ayacucho, Ica and Lima.

Honorary titles

The city of the Cusco has received several honorary titles. These are:

  • Cusco, first city and first vote of all the cities and villas of the New Castile.
  • Granted in Madrid by Real Certificate of Carlos V, the 24 of April of 1540
  • Insigne, very noble, very loyal and fidelísima city of the Cusco, the main and head the kingdoms of Peru.
  • Granted in Madrid by Real Certificate of Carlos V the 19 of 1540 July.
  • Cusco, Archaeological Capital of America.
  • Granted in XXV the Congrso the International of Americanistas celebrated in the Silver, Argentina in 1933. This title was endorsed by the Congress of the Republic of Peru by means of Law Nº 7688 of the 23 of January of 1933.
  • Cusco, cultural Inheritance of the world.
  • Granted by the Seventh Convention of Mayors of the Great Cities of the World, reunited in Milan, Italy the 19 of April of 1978.
  • Cusco, cultural Patrimony of the Humanity
  • Granted by UNESCO in Paris, France the 9 of December of 1983.
  • Cusco, cultural Patrimony of the nation.
  • Granted by means of Law Nº 23765 of the 30 of December of 1983. This same Law denominates in its article 3ª to the City of the Cusco like Tourist Capital of Peru.
  • Cusco, historical Capital of Peru.
  • Granted by article 49º of the Political Constitúción of the Peru of 1993.
  • Cusco, historical Capital of Latin America
  • Granted by the Latin American Congress of Regidores and Concejales, in the city of the Cusco, the month of November of the 2001.

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