Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [179]
BOLETO TURÍSTICO & BOLETO RELIGIOSO
Cuzco’s official boleto turístico (tourist ticket; adult/student under 26 with ISIC card S130/70) is exasperating. Apart from the ruins, the nightly show and a couple of the museums, the 17 included sights are eminently miss-able, but you can’t visit any of them without it. Since Cuzco’s signature attraction, Sacsaywamán, is included, you really can’t avoid forking out.
Valid for 10 days, the boleto turístico covers entry to the ruins of Sacsaywamán, Q’enqo, Pukapukara and Tambomachay, right outside Cuzco; Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray, in the Sacred Valley; and Tipón and Piquillacta to the south.
It also includes the fascinating Museo de Arte Popular, the eclectic Museo Histórico Regional, and an evening performance of Andean dances and live music at the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo. The remaining inclusions are the musty, miss-able archaeological museum at Qorikancha (but not Qorikancha itself), the Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo and the Pachacutec monument near the bus terminal.
There are three different partial boletos costing S70 (student S35). One covers the ruins immediately outside Cuzco, one the ruins in the Sacred Valley, and the third the museums in Cuzco. Partial tickets are valid for 10 days.
You can buy boletos turísticos from iPerú (25-2974; Office 102, Galerías Turísticas, Av El Sol 103; 8:30am-7:30pm) or at the sites themselves, except for the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo. Students will need to show their ID card along with their boleto when entering any site.
There’s also a boleto religioso (religious tourist ticket; adult/student S50/25), valid for the jaw-dropping Cathedral and Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (these are must-sees in the Plaza de Armas), as well as the Iglesia de San Blas, the Museo de Arte Religioso and (strangely) Cuzco’s most significant display of contemporary art at Museo Quijote. It’s available at any of the sites and is valid for 10 days.
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The sacristy of the cathedral is covered with paintings of Cuzco’s bishops, starting with Vicente de Valverde, the friar who accompanied Pizarro during the conquest. The crucifixion at the back of the sacristy is attributed to the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, though some guides claim it to be the work of the 17th-century Spaniard Alonso Cano. The original wooden altar is at the very back of the cathedral, behind the present silver altar, and opposite both is the magnificently carved choir, dating from the 17th century. There are also many glitzy silver and gold side chapels with elaborate platforms and altars that contrast with the austerity of the cathedral’s stonework.
The huge main doors of the cathedral are open to genuine worshippers between 6am and 10am. Religious festivals are a superb time to see the cathedral. During the feast of Corpus Christi (Click here), for example, it is filled with pedestals supporting larger-than-life statues of saints, surrounded by thousands of candles and bands of musicians honoring them with mournful Andean tunes.
IGLESIA DE LA COMPAÑÍA DE JESÚS
This church (Plaza de Armas; admission S10 or with boleto religioso; 9-11:30am & 1-5:30pm) is built upon the palace of Huayna Cápac, the last Inca to rule an undivided, unconquered empire.
The church was built by the Jesuits in 1571, and was reconstructed after the 1650 earthquake. The Jesuits planned to make it the most magnificent of Cuzco’s churches. The archbishop of Cuzco, however, complained that its splendor should not rival that of the cathedral, and the squabble grew to a point where Pope Paul III was called upon to arbitrate. His decision was in favor of the cathedral, but by the time word had reached Cuzco, La Compañía de Jesús was just about finished, complete with an incredible baroque facade and Peru’s biggest altar, all crowned by a soaring dome.
Two large canvases near the main door show early marriages in Cuzco, and are worth examining for their wealth of period detail. Local student guides are available to show you around the church, as well