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Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
Parque Calderón is the city's main plaza, dominated by the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, the 'new cathedral,' whose giant sky-blue domes are visible mainly from the rear of the church. Inside, the marbled interior is rather stark. Construction began in 1885, and the cathedral was supposed to be much taller than it is - an error in design meant that the intended bell towers could not be supported by the building.
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Church of El Carmen de la Asunción
Although its doors are rarely open to the public, the Church of El Carmen de la Asunción , founded in 1682, is one of Cuenca's prettiest sights, thanks to the colorful flower market (;daily) held on the small Plazoleta del Carmen out front.
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Churches
Two blocks east of Plaza de San Sebastián stands the bare, 19th-century Church of San Cenáculo (cnr Bolívar & Montalvo). One block north of the church is Gran Colombia, the main handicraft and shopping street in Cuenca. The street's landmark building is the Church of Santo Domingo (cnr Gran Colombia & Padre Aguirre), which has some fine carved wooden doors and colonial paintings inside. Although it looks older, the church was built in the early 20th-century.
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El Sagrario
This stark-white 'old cathedral' goes almost unnoticed thanks to the stunning Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción nearby. Construction began in 1557, the year Cuenca was founded. In 1739, it was used as a triangulation point by La Condamine's expedition to measure the shape of the earth. More recently, it was renovated for the 1985 visit of Pope John Paul II to Ecuador.
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Mirador de Turi
For a lovely view of Cuenca, take a taxi south of town along Avenida Solano to the stark white Church of Turi, perched high on a hillside in the southern suburb of Turi. The views are especially splendid on the occasional evenings (usually around holidays) when all of the churches' steeples and domes are lit throughout town. It's about 4km from the center.
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Old Cathedral
Almost unnoticed on the other side of the park across from the 'new cathedral' stands the stark-white old cathedral, which was renovated for the 1985 visit of Pope John Paul II to Ecuador. Construction of this building began in 1557, the year that Cuenca was founded. In 1739, it was used as a triangulation point by La Condamine's expedition to measure the shape of the earth.
Showing 1-6 of 6 results
