The historic and colonial churches in Cusco we know today emerged largely after the earthquake of 1650. The main component of Cusco’s historic center is its religious monuments built by various orders.
Three emblematic works of Cusco architectural art—the Cathedral Basilica, the Society of Jesus, the Temple of San Francisco de Asis, and the Temple of La Merced—allow us to observe the uniqueness and importance of Cusco’s churches.
In this article, we’ll focus on educating you about the Society of Jesus Church.
La compañia del jesus
Summary
The Church of the Company of Jesus
The construction of this masterful architectural work began on July 17, 1571, by order of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo. This work was built by the clergy of the same church, including the priest and architect Juan Ruiz.
In 1619, the Congregation of the Jesuits began the construction of three large monuments in the city of Cusco, including the College of San Bernardo.
In 1651, the construction of the Chapel of Our Lady of Loreto (also called the Chapel of the Indians) began, completing this work in just 3 years. And in 1654, the construction work began on the Church of the Society of Jesus, which was completed in 17 years.
Location
It is located in the Plaza de Armas. To see this church, stand in the center of the square, where there is a statue of the first Inca, Manco Capac. To the left is the Cathedral, the largest church and composed of three naves. In front of you and to the right of the Cathedral is the Church of the Company of Jesus.
Attractive
The Church of the Society of Jesus is a Jesuit church built on the palace of the Inca Huayna Capac. Inside, it has a single nave where the imposing main altar stands out in the background, carved in Andean Baroque style, carved in cedar and completely gilded with gold leaves.
It measures 21 meters high by 12 meters wide and in the central portion of the altar is the image of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, above a canvas representing the Transfiguration of Jesus.
The main nave also has a transept that connects with the two side chapels, six altars with different styles and a completely gilded pulpit; to the sides of the main altar there are another 4 cedar altars, three of them gilded and quite ostentatious.
It is worth mentioning the canvases that represent the life of the founder of the Order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, painted by Marcos Zapata and his assistant Cipriano Gutiérrez, outstanding painters of the famous Cusco school.
You can visit this Church on a private city tour
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 08:00 to 11:00 hrs and 13:00 to 17:00 hrs
Sundays: From 09:00 to 10:30 hrs and 13:00 to 17:00 hrs
Costs
Admission with the Religious Circuit Ticket, or only to this monument with the following amounts:
Partial Adult: S/ 10.00 – Partial Student: S/ 5.00
Which churches in Cusco should I visit?
The Cusco region has 129 religious monuments spread across its 112 districts. There are 15 churches in Cusco you can visit.
- The Basilica Cathedral of Cusco
- The Company of Jesus
- The Convent of La Merced
- The Church of San Blas
- The Church and Convent of Santo Domingo
- The Monastery of Santa Catalina
- The Church of San Pedro
- The Church of San Sebastián
- The Church of San Cristobal
- The Church of Santa Ana
- The Church of the Virgin of Bethlehem
- The Church of Santiago
- The Church of San Jeronimo
- The Church of La Recoleta
- The Church of San Pedro Apóstol in Andahuaylillas
We hope you enjoyed this article about Churches in Cusco.
Leave A Reply