Traditionally, an introduction to the city begins in its historical center. Quito’s Old Town is worth-enjoying for the romance of its colonial houses and a bird’s eye view of its beauty. And you can gulp it all from one of the most beautiful observation decks, the El Panecillo hill.

The hill, the name of which translates as  «loaf of bread», is not a simple mound. Earlier, during the Inca times, an important religious shrine was located here: many centuries ago, locals made sacrifices and worshiped the Sun on this spot. But when the Spanish invaded the territory of Quito, they began to spread their religion, and to make this process more productive, they banned and demolished old shrines. So, the Sun Temple was destroyed, and in 1812-1815, a fortress was built in its place.

Much later, in the 50s of the 20th century, local authorities couldn’t decide what to do with this place. Only unsightly ruins remained from the former fortress, and there was no budget or desire to restore it. And leaving such a beautiful place with no purpose seemed wrong. This is how the idea appeared to set an observation deck here.

But how to decorate it? How to make it attractive for residents and guests? After continuous disputes, they decided to install a large copy of the famous wooden sculpture of the Virgin of Quito, created in 1734 by sculptor Bernardo de Legarda.

Agustìn de la Herràn Matorras, a Spanish sculptor, was commissioned to create it. He found a non-standard solution for the monument: 7 400 aluminum details making up the world’s tallest metal statue! First, the Virgin of Quito was assembled in Spain to check and show to the customer, and then all the parts were dismantled, numbered, and sent to Ecuador. On March 28, 1975, the statue of the Virgin of Quito was erected on the El Panecillo hill.