Andean Barroque Route Promo Video

Two weeks from today 3 regular readers (going by the group code name of Pham Lee) will be in the Quispicanchi on a tour of the Ruta del Barroco Andino (Andean Barroque Route). It's a tour of 3* Jesuit churches that were decorated in a style specific to the Andes known as the Cusco Barroque school. As the name suggests, it's a mix of Barroque and Andean influences. 

The crown jewel of this tour is the church in Andahuaylillas, called "the Sistine chapel of the Americas." You get glimpses of it at 0:16-0:20, and again at 0:47. 

The Ruta del Barroco Andino is a great tour which I recommend. I recommend it for various reasons:

1. It's a different side of Cusco. Most tourists (myself included) come to Cusco to see Incan ruins. There's lots of them around - Machu Picchu, the Inca trail, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Moray, Koricancha, and many more. But life in Cusco kept on going after the Spanish conquest. The paintings on the walls of these parishes, espeically the church in Huaro, tell some of those stories. 
2. It's ethical tourism. The funds raised from the entrance fees to the churches, and from the gift shops, go to support the social programs of the Jesuits. These are the programs my community mates Erin, Victoria, Jacqueline, Lucía, and Lauren all have worked with. Programs include a very cheap hot lunch program for students, library and homework help, a play room with special programing designed to encourage kids to play and let loose their creativity (something that often isn't valued in the home). All proceeds from the gift shop are split evenly with the producers of the items. Unlike with a lot of the souvenirs you can buy in Peru, you can know that money spent at these shops is supporting local people.
3. It's just beautiful. You can see a lot of churches in Peru. The 3 churches in Quispicanchi stand out to me because they aren't massive cathedrals. One of them is quite small. But each parish holds a unqiue beauty that tells it's own story. Andahuaylillas has the most gold leaf, but Huaro has one of the most impressive murals I've ever seen.
4. You can stop in the South Valley afterwards for great Peruvian food.

So if you're ever in Cusco and want to see somethign besides Incan ruins, check out the Ruta del Barroco Andino. If you're lucky it might be a feast day and you could see some of the traditional dances in one of the plazas.

So if you're in Cusco

*Technically it's a 4 church tour. It usually starts at the Jesuit cathedral in Cusco. But since we'll be in Andahuaylillas already, and Pham Lee has already seen the Jesuit church in Cusco, we'll only be doing the 3 chuches in Quispicanchi.