Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [180]
MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL
The university-run natural history museum (Plaza de Armas; admission S2; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) houses a somewhat motley collection of stuffed local animals and birds and over 150 snakes from the Amazon. The entrance is hidden off the Plaza de Armas, to the right of Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús.
IGLESIA Y MONASTERIO DE SANTA CATALINA
This convent (Arequipa s/n; admission S8; 8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Sat) houses many colonial paintings of the escuela cuzqueña, as well as an impressive collection of vestments and other embroidery (definitely a must-see for embroidery fans). It also contains a baroque side chapel with dramatic friezes, and many life-sized (and sometimes startling) models of nuns praying, sewing and going about their lives. The convent also houses 13 real, live contemplative nuns.
MUSEO IRQ’I YACHAY
More an art and craft exhibition than a museum, Museo Irq’i Yachay (24-1416; www.aylluyupaychay.org; Teatro 344; admission free; 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri) is the fascinating by-product of an NGO that seeks to give opportunities for cognitive development to kids in remote communities. Of course, the most isolated and neglected communities are the ones in which traditional culture is best preserved, and the result is an engrossing and unique insight into Andean culture. The kids paint what they know – animals, mountains, rivers, people – and incorporate the symbols of the weavings that surround them from birth: north is hope and future, red is love and revenge. Along with the art itself, there’s an impressive display of textiles. Accompanying interpretive information in Spanish and English explains this symbology in detail and makes this museum a must for textile fans.
TEMPLO Y CONVENTO DE LA MERCED
Cuzco’s third most important colonial church, La Merced (23-1821; Mantas 121; admission S6; 8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) was destroyed in the 1650 earthquake, but was quickly rebuilt. To the left of the church, at the back of a small courtyard, is the entrance to the monastery and museum. Paintings based on the life of San Pedro Nolasco, who founded the order of La Merced in Barcelona in 1218, hang on the walls of the beautiful colonial cloister. The church on the far side of the cloister (8-11am) contains the tombs of two of the most famous conquistadors: Diego de Almagro and Gonzalo Pizarro (brother of Francisco). Also on the far side of the cloister is a small religious museum that houses vestments rumored to have belonged to conquistador and friar Vicente de Valverde. The museum’s most famous possession is a priceless solid-gold monstrance, 1.2m high and covered with rubies, emeralds and no fewer than 1500 diamonds and 600 pearls. Ask to see it if the display room is locked.
MUSEO HISTÓRICO REGIONAL
This eclectic museum (Calle Garcilaso at Heladeros; entry with boleto turístico; 8am-5pm Tue-Sun) is housed in the colonial Casa Garcilaso de la Vega, the house of the Inca-Spanish chronicler who now lies buried in the cathedral. The chronologically arranged collection begins with arrowheads from the Preceramic Period and continues with ceramics and jewelry of the Wari, Pukara and Inca cultures. There is also a Nazca mummy, a few Inca weavings, some small gold ornaments and a strangely sinister scale model of the Plaza de Armas. A big, helpful chart in the courtyard outlines the timeline and characters of the escuela cuzqueña.
MUSEO MUNICIPAL DE ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO
The small collection of contemporary Andean art on display at this museum (Plaza Regocijo; entry with boleto turístico; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) in the municipality building is really one for the fans. Museo Quijote (Click here) has a much better collection, putting a representative range of Peru’s contemporary artists on show, with interpretive information that puts art in context with history.
IGLESIA SAN FRANCISCO
More austere than many of Cuzco’s other churches, Iglesia San Francisco (Plaza San Francisco; admission free; 6:30-8am &