Studio39Designs

Temple of Santo Domingo (Cusco)

The last stop we made in Cusco before heading on our way to Machu Picchu was the Temple (or Cathedral) of Santo Domingo, in the heart of Cusco.  It had some really nice architectural elements – take a look!

Santo Domingo Arches

I admit, I’m a bit of a sucker for arches – love the feel they give to places.  I especially loved the look they give to the walkways that surround the central courtyard of the temple.  I also love the colors from the plants and flowers in the boxes along the arches on the second floor.

Ceiling Tiles

Aren’t these ceiling tiles beautiful?  They weren’t all over, at least not any longer, but I was glad we did get to see them in this one area.

Golden Map

Isn’t this a cool map?  It is made of metal covered in gold.  The detail is quite amazing for its time – you can see people in the lower center, what looks like crops growing to the right of them, and the sun and moon above.  Unfortunately, I can’t recall what the rest of the symbols mean.  Still, quite amazing, and naturally shimmering.

Santo Domingo Courtyard

Here’s a better view of the courtyard, or, at least, part of it!  Currently, there is a sort of fountain surrounded by flowers in the center of it, altho I sacrificed that to get a shot of the bell tower.

Multiple Windows

One interesting thing is how the doorways and windows are in the shape of trapezoids.  It was felt back then, and still today, that this shape holds up better in earthquakes than the more traditional rectangular or square windows and doorways.

Cross in front of Santo Domingo

I wanted to include this image to show how beautifully decorative the cross was in front of the temple.  I also found that the temple made for some great photo sketches, but you’ll see that in the next blog post!

Enjoy!