Dark sights in Cajamarca
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Iglesia de San Francisco
This church faces the Plaza de Armas. It is often imaginatively illuminated in the evenings, especially on weekends.San Francisco's belfries were finished in the 20th century – too late for the Spanish Crown to collect its tax. Inside are elaborate stone carvings and decadent altars, and at the entrance is an interesting collection of dangling silver sacred hearts. Visit the church’s small Museo de Arte Religioso (Religious Art Museum) to see 17th-century religious paintings done by indigenous artists and the creepy catacombs, where many monks lie buried. The intricately sculpted Capilla de la Dolorosa to the right of the nave is considered one of the finest chapels in th…
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El Cuarto del Rescate
The Ransom Chamber is the only Incan building still standing in Cajamarca. Despite its name, the room shown to visitors is the spot where Atahualpa was imprisoned, not where the ransom was actually stored. It has three trapezoidal doorways and a few similarly shaped niches in the inner walls - signature Incan construction.
The entrance to the site houses a couple of modern paintings depicting Atahualpa's capture and imprisonment. Although well built, the chamber does not compare with the Incan buildings in the Cuzco area - the stone is weathered and the building has only recently been covered by a large protective dome.
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