The+Cathedral+of+Cuzco

The Cathedral of Cuzco-Tina Evans: Aim- The Cathedral of Cuzco was built when the Spaniards came into Cuzco during the early sixteenth century. While the Inca still followed their own religions, the Spaniards wanted to enforce the ideas of Catholicism into the minds of the people in the area. They did so by destroying Incan buildings and replacing many with churches or palaces. One of the most expansive of the churches was the Cathedral. “Subsequently the cult necessities led to acquiring the lands close to the church in order to build the present-day Saint Cathedral Basilica that was started in 1560, over an area of about 4,000 m² (1 acre), and with original designs made by architect Juan Miguel de Veramendi” (“Cathedral of Cusco...”). The Cathedral itself took up a lot of space and forced the Spaniards to destroy surrounding architecture for their greedy ways. "...The palace of Viracocha was demolished in order to build the cathedral begun in 1560..." ("City of Cuzco"). The Spaniards had little to no care for the culture of the previous civilizations that lived there. They simply wanted to spread their religion across the city.

Audience- Being a Catholic Cathedral, the Cathedral of Cuzco attracts many Catholic people from across the world. The Spanish history also directly attracts the Catholics from Spain to marvel at the beautiful architecture of the cathedral. "Its structure belongs to the renaissance, and its ground plan has the shape of a Latin cross, with a transept that communicates with its two side-churches: the ‘Church of the Triumph’ toward the east and the ‘Church of the Holy Family’ toward the west” (“Cathedral of Cusco…”). The entrance has recently been moved to go directly through the “Church of Triumph”. The grand architecture itself attracts all kinds of tourists and the beautiful Cathedral is one of the main parts of Cuzco for tourists to visit today. “Cusco, and its cultural and geographical diversity, has suffered and enjoyed different events through the years that have turned it into a historical study center and the most important tourist core of the country” (“The History of…”). The Cathedral has attracted said tourists for decades and continues to do so now. The Cathedral of Cuzco has and shall continue to hold an audience of primarily tourists and Catholics.

Cultural- The Culture of The Cathedral of Cuzco has been most greatly affected by the Spaniards who built it, the Inca who surrounded it, and the tourists and archaeologists who continue to visit the building today. “For centuries before about 1500, indigenous American peoples had civilizations with unique architectural traditions; for these traditions, which continue to the present day” (Brillembourg). Not only does the Spanish culture and Catholic religion mold how the Cathedral is seen today, but also what the tourists see from the beautiful architecture. While tourists continue to visit the building, there will always be new people and cultures from across the world adding onto the ideals and culture of the building and the people there. In the past, the world around the Cathedral also affected it. The Inca had buildings, churches, and various other structures surrounding where the Spaniards decided to place the Cathedral. Although the Cathedral is a beautiful and sacred place nowadays, there was quite an extensive amount of destruction in order to even build the Cathedral. “Situated in the Peruvian Andes, Cuzco developed, under the Inca ruler Pachacutec, into a complex urban centre with distinct religious and administrative functions” (City of Cuzco”). Although Cuzco was fully established by the Inca, the Spaniards were the ones who brought Catholicism to Cuzco, and the ones who built the Cathedral in the first place.

Historical- The Cathedral of Cuzco has had an affect on the city even before it was being built. “A space for construction of the Cathedral was indicated at the time of the Spanish refoundation of the city in 1534” (Cathedral of Cusco…”). There were tons of buildings and structures that the Inca had built that were destroyed to find land in order to place the Cathedral. Therefore, the Spaniards, who were trying to spread their religion and livelihood, brought destruction to the lives of the Inca instead of simply happiness. “It is known that three years after the arrival of Spanish invaders, Manko Inka began the war willing to recover his state” (“Cathedral of Cusco…”). Battles began to keep the Spaniards off the land but ultimately, the palaces and churches that the Spaniards built remained where they were. Majority of the Incan people left or died, and the Spaniards quickly left the land barren and went to other lands in Peru.The history of destruction, however, does not tarnish the beauty and serene nature of the Cathedral itself.

Works Cited: Brillembourg, Carlos. "Latin American architecture." //Encyclopedia Britannica.// Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. “Cathedral of Cusco City.” //Qosqo.// n.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. “City of Cuzco.” //UNESCO World Heritage Centre.// UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. “The History of Cusco.” //Cusco-Peru.// Enjoy Corporation, 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015