Museum of religious art of Cusco
During the colonial era, churches and palaces were built, whose baroque decoration full of luxurious ornaments consisted mainly of canvases, sculptures, altarpieces, cedar furniture, objects of gold, silver and more. Many of these relics are in the archiepiscopal palace of Cusco, which is in charge of the museum of religious art. The enclosure is built on the foundations of an ancient Inca palace. One of its walls is famous for housing the ‘Stone of the 12 angles’.
All about the Museum of religious art of Cusco
Description
The museum of religious art of Cusco treasures some of the most important colonial relics, whether they are canvases, sculptures, carved, altarpieces, religious furniture and more. The museum was built in the archiepiscopal palace, the former palace of Inca Roca (whose walls support the famous 12-angle stone). Its rooms are full of stories and treasures of great value. Some of the most famous are the paintings: ‘Christ Crucified’ and ‘The Virgin of Milk’.
Some of the rooms of the museum are: ‘Sala Corpus Christi’, the ‘Chapel of the church’, ‘The golden room’ and others. In total there are more than 200 paintings as well as gold and silver treasures. To visit this place you must purchase the Religious Circuit Ticket, which also includes the entrance to the church of San Blas, the church of San Cristóbal and the Cathedral of Cuzco.
Location
The museum of religious art is located on Hatun Rumiyoc street, the same one that houses the ‘Stone of the 12 angles’. It is just a few steps from the Main Square of Cusco.
How to get?
To get to the museum of religious art you must walk from the Main Square of Cusco (it is only 400 meters away). You can also walk from any part of the Historic Center of the city. If you are staying far from the center, you can take a taxi.
The museum was inaugurated on June 24, 1969. For this, it had the favor of different institutions and people who contributed canvases, sculptures, altarpieces, colonial furniture and other ornaments and relics of great value. The collaboration of the José Orihuela Yábar Foundation (169 canvases of Cusco painting, colonial furniture, imagery and various ornaments), the San Antonio Abad Seminary (16 paintings and a gold altarpiece), the Church of Santa Ana (12 Corpus Christi canvases) stands out. Christi) and more.
Map to get to the Museum of religious art of Cusco
Architecture
The colonial art museum of Cusco is built on the palace of Inca Roca, the sixth Inca ruler. Part of the palace was destroyed to build the palace and house of the first bishop of Peru and Cusco, Fray Vicente Valverde. In the 20th century it became the archiepiscopal palace of Cuzco. The architecture of this colonial building is characterized by baroque decoration. It is made of stone. It has columns, mullioned balconies, windows, patios, sinks, arches and everything beautifully decorated. Its walls stand out, the bases of which maintain their stone structure from the Inca period. The entire building has great historical value as it summarizes the different stages of Cusco: from its pre-Inca times (there are walls from this time), Inca, colonial and modern.
The collection
The museum has a collection of canvases, colonial furniture, altarpieces, pieces of religious use and other treasures distributed in its different thematic rooms, such as, for example, the ‘Diego Quispe Tito’ room, which exhibits 12 canvases referring to this religious festival . The paintings are authored by the artist Quispe Tito, a great representative of the ‘Cusco school’. The works were donated by the parish of Santa Ana. Likewise, the ‘Chapel of the church’ and the ‘Golden Hall’ stand out, where you can see a baroque altarpiece, adorned in gold leaf, installed in the chapel and that was donated by the seminary of San Antonio de Abad.
Visit price
The entrance ticket to the museum has a cost for adults of 15 Peruvian soles (5 US dollars) and 7.50 Peruvian soles for students (2.50 US dollars).
The entrance to the museum is also included in the so-called ‘Cusco religious circuit’, which has a cost of 30 Peruvian soles (10 US dollars). The ticket also includes a visit to: the church of San Blas, the church of San Cristóbal and the Cathedral.
Schedule
The museum of religious art of Cusco is open to the public every day of the year, from 10 in the morning until 6 in the afternoon.
Photos of the museum of religious art of Cusco
More information
The museum exhibits up to 200 colonial canvases with religious themes. Some of the most famous are: ‘La virgen de la leche’ (anonymous) and ‘Cristo crucificado’ (anonymous). Both works belong to the so-called ‘Cusco school of painting’, which copied large European canvases but also introduced Andean elements to these classic paintings.
The stone of the 12 angles is part of the architecture of the archiepiscopal palace (museum of religious art of Cusco). This Inca structure is a few steps from the place. Its fame is due to its large dimensions and the precision with which it was polished to fit the wall. The visit to this tourist attraction is free. You just have to walk there (on Hatun Rumiyoc street).
Tips
Remember that taking pictures inside the museum is not allowed. At the door there are specialized guides who, for an additional cost, can give you all the necessary information to fully understand the historical value of the exhibited pieces.
If you are interested in colonial art, a good option is to visit the different churches and temples of Cusco, such as: the church of San Pedro, the church of Santo Domingo, the church of San Francisco, the church of Santa Ana, the La Merced church, the church of the Society of Jesus and, of course, the Cathedral of Cusco. Admission to all these tempos is free during mass hours (usually Sunday mornings).