Cusco Cathedral

What makes it special

Find Zapata's Last Supper first. Unlike most paintings of the scene, its table carries food common in the Andes, with glasses of chicha, the corn drink, set out for the disciples.

The canvases around it belong to the Cusco School, and much of the work is unsigned. Many of the painters who made them are unknown.

Look too for a large canvas showing the whole of Cusco during the 1650 earthquake, and for the Lord of the Earthquakes, the city's patron and the church's most venerated image, credited with protecting Cusco in that quake.

In the Silver Room, see the silver baldachin and an embossed silver coffin used to carry the Lord of the Earthquakes in procession. Back in the church, the choir stalls are carved from cedar. Under the main altar, a small arched crypt holds the ashes of many of Cusco's archbishops.

Visiting

Three churches make up the cathedral complex, and you buy your entry at its own door on the Plaza de Armas. The Boleto Turístico does not cover it. If you also plan to see the Museo de Arte Religioso and San Cristóbal, buy the religious-circuit ticket instead, sold in person at any of the three and valid for 30 days.

Tourist visits open at 10 or 10:30am, after the early Mass, and close in the late afternoon. You can come in during Mass to take part in the service, but some areas may be shut to you then.

Inside, photography and video are not allowed, so put your phone away at the door. Work round the chapels, altars and paintings at your own pace, keep your voice down and leave the art untouched.

Guided or on your own

You can see the cathedral on your own or with a guide, who will explain the paintings, chapels and altarpieces as you go. Guides wait at the entrance offering their services for a fee, so settle the fee before you start. Cusco's city tours also include the cathedral, along with the Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.

Tips

Dress modestly, as you would for any working church. Children under 8 enter the religious circuit free, but only with an identity document showing their age, so carry it for them.

If you hold the circuit ticket, start the round of all three in the morning.