As the Imperial City of the Children of the Sun, Cuzco was, four centuries ago, the metropolis of a vast domain, greater in extent and richer in treasure than most civilized countries of its day. Few capitals rivalled the chief city of the Incas in wealth and population at the time of the Spanish invasion, when, with its rural environs that stretched out for leagues in every direction, it numbered two hundred thousand inhabitants, and was the centre of religious and social influence in all Peru. Every subject of the Inca looked toward Cuzco with pride and reverence, glorying in its palaces and temples and bringing tribute to its sovereigns from the remotest provinces, in adoration of the royal grandeur and power. Gold, silver, precious stones, and fine textiles were constantly added to the storehouse of treasure which the sacred city guarded as the divine right of its princes. No wealth was ever permitted to leave its precincts. It is no wonder that the Spaniards were amazed at the magnificence of its temples and the abundance of its treasure. For centuries, the contributions had accumulated, and with each succeeding emperor the splendor of the royal palaces was enhanced by new gifts, and the golden disks in the Sun temples grew larger and of finer workmanship.

It is impossible to visit Cuzco without finding its wonderful stone walls and ancient ruins objects of increasing interest and curiosity. Every street and alley tells a story of Inca days, old walls of Incaic architecture forming the base of many of the modern edifices. In Cuzco more than in any other city of the New World, the ancient landmarks have been preserved in the midst of modern changes. The Temple of the Sun and the great fortress of Sacsahuaman, “the Capitol and Coliseum of Peruvian Rome,” still present interesting features to the sightseer, notwithstanding the vandalism of the Conquerors and the destructive elements of time. Not only is the convent of Santo Domingo built on the foundation walls of the ancient Coricancha,—the greatest and richest of all the temples of Inca worship,—but a Christian altar occupies the very place where the sacred emblem of the Sun god was guarded by the high priests of Tahuantinsuyo, and the cells of the convent of Santa Catalina are the same chambers that were once reserved for the Virgins of the Sun. The cloister of Santo Domingo is formed of massive stone columns, which support a beautifully carved archway surrounding the patio or inner garden of the convent. This was one of the first edifices built by the Spaniards in Peru; and a short distance away is the historic spot where the Conquerors formed their quartel and took refuge when overpowered by the superior numbers of the Indians. Tradition relates that, on one occasion, the Spaniards were besieged in this entrenchment, and were about to perish,—the Indians having set fire to the defences,—when the Virgin Mary descended in a cloud to their relief, accompanied by the patron saint of Spain, Saint James, or “Santiago,” on a white horse. By this divine interposition, the flames were extinguished and victory rewarded the brave propagators of the faith. The cathedral was erected near this spot, one of its chapels, called “Our Lady of the Triumph,” serving to commemorate this miracle.

The old churches and other structures of colonial times are as interesting in their way as the remains of Incaic architecture, and Cuzco is full of reminiscences of the viceroyalty. The cathedral, built in the style of the Renaissance, was begun soon after the Conquest, and was not completed until ninety years later, in the middle of the seventeenth century. It is of stone and the cost of construction was so great that one of the viceroys remarked “it would have been less expensive in silver.” The interior consists of three naves, separated by stone pillars which support high, vaulted arches; in the central nave is the choir, the carving of which is superb; and in front of it stands the high altar, covered with silver. Two organs fill the church with the music of their rich tones on Sundays and feast days. The cathedral has many paintings, one of which, El Señor de la Agonia, is a masterpiece, said to be an original Van Dyck. In the sacristy are portraits of the popes and of all the bishops of Cuzco. One of the most precious possessions of the cathedral is the monstrance, which is ornamented with pearls, diamonds, emeralds, rubies and other precious stones of great value. In the naves to the right and left of the main entrance to the cathedral are chapels dedicated to the images of the Virgin, our Lord and the Saints, worshipped in special commemoration of some miracle. The Indians are particularly devoted to Our Lord of the Earthquakes, represented by an image that is blackened with the smoke of candles that have been placed on the altar by innumerable worshippers. It is not unusual to see the space in front of this chapel occupied by a group of Indians on their knees, gazing in adoration on the image of El Señor de los Temblores, whom they regard as their especial protector. Their religious processions in his honor are held on Monday of Holy Week and are attended by an immense concourse.

The signal for beginning a religious procession in Cuzco is given by the ringing of the great bell of the cathedral, the “Maria Angola,” one of the richest and clearest-toned bells in the world. The history of the “Maria Angola” is interesting. It is named in honor of a pious lady of Cuzco who gave three hundred pounds’ weight of gold to be used in casting it. This enormous bell, which is large enough to cover a group of eight men, was cast in the city of Cuzco in 1659. An inclined plane had to be built from the cathedral tower to the street in order to raise the colossal piece of bronze to its place, and the task required the employment of a host of workmen. The prevailing controversy of the time when the bell was made is indicated by the words engraved on its border: Ora pro nobis, Alabada sea el Santisimo Sacramento del Altar y la Purisima Conception de Nuestra Señora, sin pecado original [“Pray for us; Glory be to the most holy sacrament of the Altar and the most pure conception of Our Lady, without original sin.”] The rich, sonorous tones of the “Maria Angola” may be heard twenty-five miles away from Cuzco, and the music is most beautiful and potent to incline one to a spirit of reverence. When its clear tones announce the elevation of the Host, the venders in the market place fall on their knees and the business of buying and selling is suspended while the solemn voice from the cathedral tower calls to a more sacred duty. It is said that the soft, vibrant tone of the “Maria Angola” bell is due to the great amount of gold in its composition.

When one visits the chief places of interest in Cuzco, there is so much to be seen that it is customary to divide the time so as to make separate excursions to the Incaic ruins, the old colonial churches and palaces, and finally to the places where modern enterprise is to be seen. A day among the wonders of Sacsahuaman, the Rodadero, the ancient walls of Pachacutec’s palace, the house once occupied by an Inca “medicine man” (easily recognized by the seven serpents carved in relief on the façade), the narrow alleys with their curious legends, is sufficient to inspire enthusiasm for a trip to the neighboring town of Pisac, where it is possible to climb the mountain to the observatory of Inti-Huatana and spend interesting hours in speculation as to the uses the Incas made of the edifice that once topped this almost inaccessible eminence. Still more fascinating are the ruins of Ollantaytambo, which lie a few leagues north of Cuzco, the site of stupendous monuments of Incaic architecture, and once the favorite summer residence of the sovereigns of Cuzco. From the height of its walls, the prospect sweeps to the far horizon, following the beautiful Urubamba valley, or narrows to right and left where high mountains shut out a larger view. Far up the sides of these towering cliffs the Incas’ subjects were buried in caverns hollowed out like swallows’ nests, the openings being covered over with earth to hide their sepulchre. It is not known where the bodies of the Incas themselves were hidden when they were taken from the Temple of the Sun at the approach of the Spaniards. A great treasure awaits the discoverer, for it is said that when an emperor died his body was embalmed and placed in the Temple of the Sun on a throne of gold; both the golden thrones and their occupants disappeared with the advent of the Conquerors and they have never been found.

On the site of the Church of the Compañia, or the Jesuits’ church, in the Plaza Matriz, once stood the palace of the Inca Huayna-Ccapac in the midst of gardens that covered the area now occupied by the church and the neighboring University of Cuzco. The three plazas now known as Matriz, Regocijo, and San Francisco, then formed a single large square, in which were celebrated the grand public festivals dedicated to the Sun; it was this large square which was encircled by the celebrated gold chain of Huascar. None of the convents and churches built during the viceroyalty show greater architectural beauty than the Compañia. The interior is cruciform, has a single broad nave, whose massive stone pillars are of varied design, some round and others square, with Doric capital on which rest the great arches that are the most imposing features of its architecture. A large dome, supported on four arches of beautiful design, marks the division of the cross where the nave is met by transverse aisles, and on the face of this rotunda is sculptured the coat-of-arms of the Company of Jesus, in elaborate design.

Though the interior of the Compañia is a magnificent example of the church architecture of Cuzco, the cloister of Merced is also much to be admired, with its superb arches on the upper and lower galleries surrounding the patio, and its wonderful staircases made of blocks of black granite. The cloister itself is built of stone taken from the fortress of Sacsahuaman, the architecture being of the seventeenth century, Greco-Roman in style. Cuzco has also, in the parochial church of San Blas, one of the handsomest pulpits in existence, a superb specimen of the finest wood-carving of the seventeenth century.

The Cuzco of the Incas and the viceroyalty is so absorbing in interest that the modern city must pay the penalty of past fame by a harder struggle for present recognition than new cities have to experience. When a town springs up under the impulse of modern enterprise, every feature of its growth and development is noted; but when it has “a history,” the greatest effort is necessary to win even a passing comment on its present condition. Cuzco has made notable progress within the past few years and is constantly improving in social and industrial development. When President José Pardo visited the city in 1905, he was impressed by the favorable outlook for this section of the republic, destined to be one of the richest industrial centres of South America.

The city of Cuzco, capital of the department of the same name, occupies a central position in southern Peru. It lies in the valley of the Urubamba River, on the banks of the Huatanay, at an altitude of nearly twelve thousand feet above sea level. To the south and west are the plateaus and sierras of the highest Cordilleras, while to the north and east the country slopes rapidly to the region of the Montaña, with its virgin forests and intermingling waterways.

The city of Cuzco is lighted with electricity, and has a complete system of waterworks, recently installed, which ensures an abundance of water for all purposes, and provides the means for improving the sanitation of the city and rendering it a more desirable place of residence. Formerly the lack of a sufficient water supply made it impossible for the authorities to enforce hygienic measures of the greatest importance; but now that this difficulty has been removed, Cuzco is making its streets clean and its plazas beautiful. The water is brought down from neighboring springs ten miles distant, by means of aqueducts and pipes, the old Spanish aqueduct being also utilized for the purpose. From a reservoir of masonry, with a capacity of three thousand cubic metres, the water is distributed at the rate of three hundred gallons a second.

New telegraph and telephone lines connect Cuzco with other cities of the department, long distance wires having been established between the capital and Paucartambo, Abancay, and other points, in addition to the national telegraph lines. New public buildings have been constructed during the present administration, and improvements have been made in many institutions. The Prefecture, which occupies the site where Pizarro lived when in Cuzco, was remodelled and beautified a short time ago.

Public instruction has received greater attention within the past few years than ever before, and, from the primary school to the university, the tendency is in favor of special training with a view to its practical uses. The University of Cuzco is one of the oldest educational institutions of Peru, and in its cloisters some of the most noted Peruvian scholars found inspiration. Cuzco was the birthplace of the great historian of the Incas, Garcilaso de la Vega, and of the learned writers Castro, Espinoza Medrano, Heras; Perez, who was called “the bishop of epigrams,” Leonardo Villar, a famous physician and scholar; Antonio Lorena, the anthropologist; David Matto, learned in bacteriology; Narciso Arestegui, the novelist; as well as the military leaders, General Gamarra, La Puerta, and many others who were proud to claim the old Inca capital as their native city.

In the new era of progress on which Peru has entered with so much promise, the ancient Cuzco, that was held in reverence as the “centre of the universe” ages before America was discovered by the European, will hold its own among its more modern sister cities. The treasure of its ancient ruins but adds interest to a city that knows how to keep in line with the march of modern civilization.