Church of the Society of Jesus

Welcome to the historic Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru, where we stand before the magnificent Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, or the Church of the Society of Jesus. As an architectural historian, it is my profound privilege to…

Let us approach the main portal, positioning ourselves directly at the stone steps leading up to the heavy wooden entrance doors. The facade looming above us is carved entirely from local andesite stone, a dense volcanic rock…

Stepping through the heavy exterior doors, we immediately leave the brilliant, blinding light of the Andean plaza and enter the profound, cool shadows of the narthex. Allow a moment for your eyes to adjust to this dramatic shift…

As we emerge from beneath the low ceiling of the choir loft, the space suddenly explodes upward and outward into the magnificent central nave. The architectural compression of the entrance gives way entirely to soaring,…

We now stand before the absolute focal point of the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús: the Retablo Mayor, or the Main Altar. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most astonishing pieces of colonial artwork in all of the Americas. …

Turning our backs to the dazzling gold of the main altar, we move into the transept arms, the cross-sections of the church's Latin cross layout. Here, the atmosphere subtly changes, becoming noticeably more intimate and shadowed. …

We now move to a space rarely seen by the casual visitor. Located directly beneath the towering Retablo Mayor is the hidden entrance to the subterranean crypts. …

Emerging from the chill of the crypts, we walk back down the length of the central nave and carefully ascend the spiraling, deeply worn wooden staircase that leads up to the elevated choir loft at the rear of the church. Reaching…

As we carefully descend from the choir loft and make our way toward the side exit leading out to the adjacent courtyard, we reach the conclusion of our detailed architectural and historical journey through the Iglesia de la…