Do you want to visit a temple of great architectural beauty in the city of Cusco? This is your opportunity to visit the Church and Convent of La Merced, a monumental wonder that keeps the most impressive relics, contains various artistic works and has a very good structure that make it unique within the sacramental order.
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According to the chronicles, the Mercenaries entered Cusco in 1535 and at the suggestion of Fray Sebastian de Castañeda y Trujillo founded their first house. Then Pizarro gave them the land near the Cusipata house, where they built the first houses and temples in the center of the city.
In 1548 the rooms of the church of La Merced were enlarged, so that by 1580 great advances were evident.
During the earthquake of 1650, the church of La Merced suffered damage that destroyed most of its structure, so immediately began the reconstruction of the temple with the participation of indigenous workers and slaves (an unfortunate reality of the time) so that in 1671 all the repairs were completed.
Upon entering the Convent of La Merced, you will find a variety of murals, indescribable paintings and treasures of historical value that will captivate your being.
The Custody is a precious and valuable jewel from Peru in South America. It measures a little more than one meter high and weighs 22 kilograms.
It is composed of 250 grams of solid gold with more than 1500 diamonds, 615 pearls and the second largest pearl in the world.
During the 17th century, this important object was used for lighting candles, which was donated by the Jewish colony to the Convent of La Merced.
It fulfilled the function of reserving the most holy body of Christ, the sacred one is worked in silver and presents outstanding salomonic columns of baroque tendency of the XVIII century.
In each space that you enter inside the Convent of La Merced, the paintings and the paintings will be of your greatest esteem, likewise, you can appreciate some sculptures.
It contemplates an architecture of the modern baroque, where you receive two entrance doors, in the part of the church the columns of the sides are observed, it has a colonial tower with belfries and among other aspects that exalt its presence stand out:
The data that is taken into account is in relation to Fray Victor M. Barriga, who indicated that those belonging to his order were the first to arrive in Peru in 1533 approximately, therefore they happened to live in the lands of the Incas.
In the Dome, the excellent paint work on the vaulted ceilings, accompanied by chandeliers containing numerous detailed pieces, stands out.
Restored after the 1950 earthquake, the cloisters of La Merced are composed of columns with perfect ornaments that carve the space.
The exact address of the convent of La Merced is Plazoleta Espinar, Calle Mantas 121, in Cusco.
To reach the destination, you must go to the Plaza de Armas in the city of Cusco or be near the center of the city and just a few steps away you will find yourself in the desired place.
The entrance hours to the Church and Convent of La Merced are Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Admission to the convent costs 15.00 soles per person, while the church is free.
If you want to know the colonial temples and visit the different archaeological sites of the city of Cusco, do not hesitate to consult with Tierras de los Andes, your reliable travel agency that offers the best tours to live a unique and personalized experience in your next adventures.
