Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca - 2500m asl
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ecuador's third-largest city, but it feels more like a charming old-world town, with cobblestone streets and a rich collection of colonial-era churches, plazas, and buildings. A good deal of the city's colonial architecture remains intact -- Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before the Spanish arrived here, Cuenca was the second largest city in the Inca empire (after Cusco). The foundations of former Inca palaces became foundations for the city's churches and government buildings. Amazingly, when the Incas conquered the area, in the late 1400s, the Cañari had already been living here for centuries. The Incas -- not unlike what the Spanish would eventually do -- used stones from the Cañari structures to build their temples and palaces. The Cañari (also spelled Kañari) people were the first known inhabitants of Cuenca, building a city here, around A.D. 500, called Guapondeleg. Their language and customs are largely a mystery, although several nearby villages still have names that end in "-deleg," a common Cañari suffix. Around 1480, the Cañari were conquered by the Incas, who called the city Tomebamba, the current name of the main river that runs through the city center. Tomebamba was one of the preferred cities of Inca King Huayna Capac, who spent much of his time here. But the Inca reign was short-lived -- they were vanquished by Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadors in 1534. The Spanish city of Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca was founded here in 1557. Source: www.frommers.com
The Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca is a remarkable example of a planned inland Spanish town (entroterra) that bears witness to the interest given to the principles of Renaissance urban planning in the Americas. Founded in 1577 according to the guidelines issued thirty years earlier by the King of Spain, Charles V, it has preserved over four centuries its original orthogonal plan. An Indian community was in existence at the time of the arrival of the Spanish, (Inca-Canari); from this time on the character of the town of Cuenca was determined. The urban layout and the townscape of its historic centre, corresponding to colonial towns located in the interior of the land with an agricultural vocation, clearly bears witness to the successful fusion of the different societies and cultures of Latin America. The urban fabric of the Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca comprises a system of parks, squares, atriums, churches and other public spaces. Source: http://whc.unesco.org
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ecuador's third-largest city, but it feels more like a charming old-world town, with cobblestone streets and a rich collection of colonial-era churches, plazas, and buildings. A good deal of the city's colonial architecture remains intact -- Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before the Spanish arrived here, Cuenca was the second largest city in the Inca empire (after Cusco). The foundations of former Inca palaces became foundations for the city's churches and government buildings. Amazingly, when the Incas conquered the area, in the late 1400s, the Cañari had already been living here for centuries. The Incas -- not unlike what the Spanish would eventually do -- used stones from the Cañari structures to build their temples and palaces. The Cañari (also spelled Kañari) people were the first known inhabitants of Cuenca, building a city here, around A.D. 500, called Guapondeleg. Their language and customs are largely a mystery, although several nearby villages still have names that end in "-deleg," a common Cañari suffix. Around 1480, the Cañari were conquered by the Incas, who called the city Tomebamba, the current name of the main river that runs through the city center. Tomebamba was one of the preferred cities of Inca King Huayna Capac, who spent much of his time here. But the Inca reign was short-lived -- they were vanquished by Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadors in 1534. The Spanish city of Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca was founded here in 1557. Source: www.frommers.com
The Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca is a remarkable example of a planned inland Spanish town (entroterra) that bears witness to the interest given to the principles of Renaissance urban planning in the Americas. Founded in 1577 according to the guidelines issued thirty years earlier by the King of Spain, Charles V, it has preserved over four centuries its original orthogonal plan. An Indian community was in existence at the time of the arrival of the Spanish, (Inca-Canari); from this time on the character of the town of Cuenca was determined. The urban layout and the townscape of its historic centre, corresponding to colonial towns located in the interior of the land with an agricultural vocation, clearly bears witness to the successful fusion of the different societies and cultures of Latin America. The urban fabric of the Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca comprises a system of parks, squares, atriums, churches and other public spaces. Source: http://whc.unesco.org
Parque Calderón
is the historical heart of Cuenca and the center of the action. Here you'll find both the Catedral Nueva and the Catedral Vieja. Source: www.frommers.com
is the historical heart of Cuenca and the center of the action. Here you'll find both the Catedral Nueva and the Catedral Vieja. Source: www.frommers.com
New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva/Catedral de la Inmaculada)
In 1885, construction began but it wasn't completed for almost another 80 years. It has a mix of styles -- Romanesque on the outside with Gothic windows. It is modeled on the Battistero (Baptistery) in Florence. The two massive blue domes are distinctive and visible from various vantage points around the city. The floors are made of white marble imported from Italy, while the stained-glass windows contain a mix of Catholic and indigenous symbols (the sun and the moon, for example). In 1985, when the Pope visited this cathedral and saw the Renaissance-style main altar (which is modeled on the one in St. Peter's in Rome), he looked confused and asked, "Am I in Rome?" The cathedral is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 4:30pm and Saturday from 9am to noon. Source: www.frommers.com
In 1885, construction began but it wasn't completed for almost another 80 years. It has a mix of styles -- Romanesque on the outside with Gothic windows. It is modeled on the Battistero (Baptistery) in Florence. The two massive blue domes are distinctive and visible from various vantage points around the city. The floors are made of white marble imported from Italy, while the stained-glass windows contain a mix of Catholic and indigenous symbols (the sun and the moon, for example). In 1985, when the Pope visited this cathedral and saw the Renaissance-style main altar (which is modeled on the one in St. Peter's in Rome), he looked confused and asked, "Am I in Rome?" The cathedral is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 4:30pm and Saturday from 9am to noon. Source: www.frommers.com
Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja/Iglesia del Sagrario)
is the oldest structure in the city. Construction began in 1557 and utilized stones taken from the nearby Inca ruins of Pumapungo. Because cities can't have two cathedrals, once the Catedral Nueva opened in 1967, the old one ceased functioning as a house of worship. Today it houses a modest museum of religious art. Source: www.frommers.com
is the oldest structure in the city. Construction began in 1557 and utilized stones taken from the nearby Inca ruins of Pumapungo. Because cities can't have two cathedrals, once the Catedral Nueva opened in 1967, the old one ceased functioning as a house of worship. Today it houses a modest museum of religious art. Source: www.frommers.com
Panama Hat
The history of toquilla straw shows deep ancestral roots. When the Spaniards disembarked centuries ago, they saw natives covering their heads with a strange woven article similar to “vampire wings.” In 1630 Francisco Delgado persuaded them to convert them into brimless hats, or “toquillas,” and in 1796 Charles the V promoted the creation of craft guilds, among them was the “straw hat” guild. This article is the legacy and fusion of two cultures, which has lasted until today in all its splendor. In the production of straw articles, Homero Ortega is a company that has contributed to the fame of the Panama hat and its place in the world context. Five generations of the Ortega family dedicated to hat making constitute our letter of introduction, proof of our experience, seriousness, and the high quality of our products. The life of Homero Ortega, our company’s founder, focused on the production of straw hats. From childhood he was involved in this activity, learning it from his father, Aurelio Ortega Garcia. Together they trekked through the El Cajas mountain region, over the continental divide, to reach the port of Guayaquil. There they sold their hats “on board” to merchants who transported them to Panama. In 1972 our firm was established as a corporation. Its success is based on our capacity to adapt and our conception of the straw hat as the epitome of a popular cultural expression. In crafting a Panama hat, manual skill intermingles with the natural nobility of the toquilla straw and the cultural wealth of the Ecuadorian people. Source: www.homeroortega.com
The history of toquilla straw shows deep ancestral roots. When the Spaniards disembarked centuries ago, they saw natives covering their heads with a strange woven article similar to “vampire wings.” In 1630 Francisco Delgado persuaded them to convert them into brimless hats, or “toquillas,” and in 1796 Charles the V promoted the creation of craft guilds, among them was the “straw hat” guild. This article is the legacy and fusion of two cultures, which has lasted until today in all its splendor. In the production of straw articles, Homero Ortega is a company that has contributed to the fame of the Panama hat and its place in the world context. Five generations of the Ortega family dedicated to hat making constitute our letter of introduction, proof of our experience, seriousness, and the high quality of our products. The life of Homero Ortega, our company’s founder, focused on the production of straw hats. From childhood he was involved in this activity, learning it from his father, Aurelio Ortega Garcia. Together they trekked through the El Cajas mountain region, over the continental divide, to reach the port of Guayaquil. There they sold their hats “on board” to merchants who transported them to Panama. In 1972 our firm was established as a corporation. Its success is based on our capacity to adapt and our conception of the straw hat as the epitome of a popular cultural expression. In crafting a Panama hat, manual skill intermingles with the natural nobility of the toquilla straw and the cultural wealth of the Ecuadorian people. Source: www.homeroortega.com