Cuzco is a Quechua word that means center or navel and Cuzco was just that as the capital of the Inca Empire.  Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro took control of the city in 1533 and the Inca Empire which totaled more than 12 million people at that time.

A major earthquake in 1650 heavily damaged the city but the Roman Catholic priests and monks  greatly influenced the reconstruction, most of which you can observe today in Cuzco. Cuzco is also a major tourist area as a starting point for trips to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Church of the Society of Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE YOUNG

 

 

 

 

THE OLD

 

 

 

 

THE COLORFUL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Window shopping for Inca Chess Boards