Highlights of Cusco, Cusco, Peru

I have a nagging feeling that if there was one place on my Peruvian itinerary that I did not have enough time for, it was Cuzco. Due to the arrival and departure timings, in Cuzco I had less than the day-and-a-half allowance for exploring that I enjoyed at my other stops. Here, it was only one full day plus the preceding late evening and the following early morning. That was certainly enough to see the main sights in the historic center, but I could have done with a few more hours of just walking around.

The focal point of Cuzco is, as elsewhere, its main square, which is presided over by two grand churches. The one on the south-eastern side is the Iglesia de la Companía de Jesús. It will feature several times in this photoset.

Unusually for cathedrals in general, the Cuzco Cathedral has three separate naves inside – as if being made up of three churches side by side. In a bit of further added interest, in the corner of the main nave, you can find a rendering of the Last Supper depicting Jesus and the Apostles dining on the Peruvian delicacy of guinea pig; Judas’s face in the painting is that of Francisco Pizarro’s, in a not-too-subtle reflection of how the descendants of Inkas perceive the conquistador. Photography inside the cathedral is not allowed – but there are plenty of shots of that painting online if you Google “cuzco cathedral last supper”. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).