Coricancha and Convent of Santo Domingo, Cusco (must see)

Coricancha, meaning "Golden Temple" and sometimes referred to as the "Temple of the Sun," was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. Although much of the temple was destroyed or altered after the Spanish conquest, its remarkable stonework was incorporated into the foundations of the Convent of Santo Domingo.

The Incas used ashlar masonry to construct Coricancha. This alone demonstrates the building's importance, since ashlar masonry is labor-intensive and requires carefully cut and precisely fitted stones.

At one time, the walls of Coricancha were reportedly covered with gold, and its courtyards were filled with golden statues and ornaments. Spanish chroniclers described its opulence as extraordinary. In 1533, the Spanish demanded an enormous ransom in gold and silver for the captured Inca ruler Atahualpa, and much of the gold collected came from Coricancha. A nearby archaeological museum displays a collection of mummies, ceremonial objects, and textiles associated with the site and the surrounding region.

The Spanish eventually built the Convent of Santo Domingo on the site. Some of Coricancha's original stonework was incorporated into the convent, while other stones were reused in buildings elsewhere in Cusco.

The convent was the first Dominican convent established in Peru. It was founded in 1534, and an early church was completed in the early 17th century. Earthquakes caused considerable damage to the colonial structures over the centuries, while the underlying Inca masonry proved remarkably resilient.

Much of the building seen today dates from later reconstruction, while its Baroque bell tower was added in the early 18th century. The museum complex includes displays devoted to Coricancha, works from the Cusco School of painting, contemporary art, and pieces collected by the convent that highlight modern artistic production in Cusco.