When the Spanish colonized Peru within the sixteenth century, they tore down the Incan temples and palaces, leaving the bottom degree of authentic stone masonry in place. On high of these they constructed European-style white stucco partitions, ornate baroque stonework, and intricately carved wood balconies. This fusion of Incan and colonial structure, notably in Cusco, helped earn the town the designations of Historic Capital and Tourism Capital of Peru.
On Could 21, 1950, an earthquake rocked Cusco, damaging roughly half of the town’s buildings. The worst destruction affected outdated adobe homes and colonial-era church buildings, together with the Church of Santo Domingo, which was constructed atop the Coricancha (“Temple of the Solar,” devoted to the Incan solar god). Spanish chronicler Pedro Cieza de León as soon as marveled on the temple’s “wonderful masonry,” noting that “the stones themselves are so nicely labored that no becoming a member of or cement could be seen.” He was referring to the Incan strategy of ashlar masonry, by which massive, hand-cut stones are formed to suit completely collectively—so nicely, actually, that their constructions survived the quake whereas newer additions crumbled.
Cusco’s historical past stretches again even additional, and extra treasures are nonetheless being discovered. In 2008, archaeologists uncovered ruins of an historic temple, roads, and irrigation programs credited to the pre-Inca Killke tradition, seemingly courting again to the twelfth century. Killke ceramics have additionally been discovered all through the town. Attributable to its proximity to Machu Picchu, Cusco is typically regarded as merely a gateway to one of many New Seven Wonders of the World, however its personal wealthy historical past has been attraction sufficient. In 1983, the United Nations Academic, Scientific, and Cultural Group (UNESCO) designated Cusco a World Heritage Web site, recognizing its extraordinary cultural significance.
That international recognition hasn’t at all times benefited Cusco’s residents. When a group growth program started establishing a pool close to the historic Sapantiana Colonial Aqueduct, it fastidiously adopted tips to protect the encircling space. Late within the mission, nevertheless, a last evaluation uncovered Killke artifacts within the close by San Blas neighborhood. This marked the entire space as a protected website, and the mission was abruptly halted.
As we speak, guests can see kids working by the empty concrete rectangle that was meant to carry water, or down the slope meant for a waterslide. However they will not be swimming—as a result of the pool was by no means accomplished.
Believed to be the oldest repeatedly inhabited metropolis in South America, Cusco has at all times balanced reverence for the previous with adaptation to the current. It is what the Incas did after they absorbed the Killke tradition, what Peruvians did after Spanish colonization, and what they do in the present day to welcome tens of millions of tourists annually. Cusco should not worry shedding its World Heritage designation. The Peruvian persons are clearly pleased with their historical past, they usually deserve credit score for preserving the previous. Additionally they deserve a working pool.
This text initially appeared in print underneath the headline “UNESCO’s Blessing, Cusco’s Burden.”
