Plaza de Armas

Almost any city has a beautiful central square with the most prominent architectural landmarks. In Cajamarca, it is Plaza de Armas, the place where the Inca Empire fell.

In the 16th century, when the last emperor was captivated and then killed, Plaza de Armas wasn’t a square yet. It was a fortress with a wall length of 400 meters. There were several pavilions behind the fortress wall: a dwelling one, a military, and a food storage. The ritual shrine Ushnu was also located here. The fortress was the heart of the city: it was home to its rulers and priests who communicated with spirits and gods.

After the downfall of the empire, when the colonizers conquered the city, the look of the square changed considerably: its fortress walls were pulled down, the pavilions were dismantled for the materials for the new temples. Only Ushnu survived, and, as researchers say, this happened only because it was hard to destroy it. The single thing that reminds us of the square’s historical look is the fountain built in 1699, where an ancient pool had previously stood.

The contemporary look of Plaza de Armas is the triumph of colonial architecture. Temples, beautiful mansions, a small park – this ensemble has been a landmark of the city for centuries.

The Cathedral of Cajamarca is right here, on Plaza de Armas. Surprisingly, initially, it was a courthouse. In 1682, it was partially reconstructed and expanded. The building acquired a richly decorated facade and became one of the most outstanding achievements of the art of Latin America. The interiors of the main cathedral were changed radically: the altar and cathedra, carved from wood and leaf-gilded, were ordered from the best masters of the city.

A bit away, there stands another architectural sight, the San Francisco Church, the biggest temple in Cajamarca. Its construction began in 1699 on the site of a small dilapidated church, that was built in 1579. The building works continued for 80 years. Moreover, the church towers were completed only in 1958. So this is a story of the long term construction project in the city center. Now, it hosts the Religious Art Museum.

The third important attraction of the square is the Chapel of Virgin de los Dolores, built in 1722. The main assets here are the frescoes created by unknown artists that are considered one of the most typical examples of the national religious painting tradition.