Cusco
Cusco Region, Peru
Destination guide
The heart of the old Inca empire has a wealth of Inca ruins, Spanish treasures and historic architecture to explore.
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Cusco Cathedral
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
Last updated: 02 April, 2024
Built on the site of a royal Inca palace razed to the ground by Pizarro, this hulking 16th-century baroque church houses some impressive Cusqueno art, which mixes indigenous and Spanish styles, including a Last Supper showing Christ eating guinea pig.
The Inca-made reredos behind the solid silver altar is covered in intricate carving and the north tower houses the 6 tonne Maria Angola Bell, named after a freed slave who threw a handful of gold into the crucible when the bell was cast in 1659.
Logistics
Price from: £5
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Getting there & doing it
Pick up the free audio guide for commentary on the artwork inside. Note – the cathedral is included on the multi-attraction Boleto General ticket covering 16 sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
When to do it
The cathedral is open to visitors all year round, seven days a week.
Destination guides
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Peru
Peru
Destination guide
A land of spectacular deserts, high mountains and rainforests that teem with wildlife, Peru is also home to an array of dramatically situated pre-Colombian ruins, including Machu Picchu.