Caral (km 184, carretera Panamericana Norte, provincia de Barranca): esta es la Ciudad Sagrada de Caral, el reputado origen de la cultura andina precolombina. Como la más antigua de las civilizaciones que prosperaron en las Américas, las raíces históricas de esta área se remontan a más de 5,000 años. El complejo Caral contiene una variedad […]
Tourists visiting Peru think firstly of the country’s ancient indigenous civilization – the Inca Empire that goes back to the 13th century. That pre-Columbian empire, during its height, covered not only Peru, but parts of Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia (centered on the Andean Mountain regions of these countries). Inca rule over these lands came […]
Los turistas que visitan Perú piensan en primer lugar en la antigua civilización indígena del país: el Imperio Inca que se remonta al siglo XIII. Ese imperio precolombino, durante su apogeo, cubrió no solo Perú, sino partes de Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador y Colombia (centrado en las regiones de la montaña andina de estos países). El […]
La Compañía de Jesús (Calle Garcia Moreno y Sucre, Quito) – complete in 1765, this is Ecuador’s most ornate church – considered one of the most significant works of Spanish Baroque architecture in South America. Moorish influences are evident in the church’s interior. A sarcophagus with the remains of Ecuador’s patron saint (Mariana de Jesís […]
Museo Mindalae (Plaza Yuyú, La Mariscal, Quito) – this museum is dedicated to the country’s ethnic history — celebrating the immense cultural and ethnic diversity of the many nations within Ecuador. The Museum is managed by the Sinchi Sacha Foundation, an organization that supports indigenous cultures, fair trade, craft training and responsible tourism. The name […]
Museo de Arte Colonial (Calles Cuence y Mejía, Quito) – located in a colonial building from the 16th Century, this museum was established in 1914, and houses a vast collection of artwork (from paintings to sculptures going as far back as the 16th century). There is also a section devoted to colonial era indigenous artists. […]
Capilla del Hombre (Mariano Calvache E18-94 y Lorenzo Chávez, Bellavista, Quito) – located in the Bellavista section of Quito, this structure (“the Chapel of Man”) is actually an art museum put together by Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamín – which he dedicated to the peoples of Latin America. Artworks shown there range from murals to sculptures. […]
Museo Nacional (Patria, e/Av. 6 de Diciembre y Av. 12 de Octubre, Quito) – founded by the Banco Central de Ecuador and currently managed by the local government’s Ministry of Culture, this museum has a vast collection of artifacts and artwork that span the history of Ecuador, from pre-Columbian (from figurines to gold masks), to […]
Museo Guayasamín (Bosmediano 543, Bellavista, Quito) – along with the befote-mentioned Capilla del Hombre, this museum houses the collection of renowned Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919-1999). As a longtime political activist, many of his artworks displayed images of class division, political oppression, poverty and prejudice (including his best known painting “The Age of Anger”). Along […]
Museo del Banco Central Pumapungo (Calle Larga e/Arriaga y Huayna Capac, Cuenca) – along with a wing that displays more contemporary artworks at this museum’s street level, its upper level features a variety of ítems that reveal the country’s diverse cultures – from indigenous (Indian) to Afro-Ecuadorian (showing the little-known blacks from Esmeraldas province, who […]