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:: CUSCO
 Is the capital city of one of the greatest pre-Columbian empires: The “Tawantinsuyo” or Kingdom of the Incas. Its name in Quechua means “Navel of the world”. According to the legend, Cusco; Sacred Capital City of the Tawantinsuyu, was founded between the 11th and the 12th century A.C., by the Inca Manco Capac who emerged from the Lake Titicaca. Cusco was the center of government of the four extensive regions of the Inca Empire which got to the point of covering great part of what is now Ecuador, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.
The Incan society was an admirable example of political and social organization. It mastered great knowledge in architecture, hydraulic engineering, medicine and agriculture.
On March 23, 1534, Francisco Pizarro founded a Spanish city which was buit upon the ruins of the Incan Cusco. Therefore, Cusco is a typical example of cultural fusion and syncretism, for having inherited architectural monuments and works of art of incalculable value.
Since the time of the Viceregal Cusco, several great revolutions took place against the Spanish dominion, such as that of José Gabriel Condorcanqui (Tupac Amaru II) in 1780, that of the Angulo brothers in 1813 and that of Mateo Pumacahua, in 1814.
Finally, in 1911, the North American investigator Hiram Bingham discovered, the imposing Incan city of Machu Picchu and that discovery impulsed worldwide interest for Peru.
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| GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION :
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The city of Cusco is situated in the South-East region of the Peruvian Andes. The Department of Cusco has an extension of 76,225 Km2. or 5.9% of the Peruvian territory (1,283,215 Km2). These great regions contain high Andean and jungle areas, with boundaries that are only defined by the interpretation of general physiological and climatic variations. But, it´s good to know them to understand and apreciate the vast diversity of the Cusquenian and Peruvian geographicqal space.
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| GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES :
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The Department of Cusco is bordering to the North, with the jungles of Junín and Ucayali; to the South, with Arequipa and Puno; to the East, with the great Amazonian basin of Madre de Dios ant to the West, with the Apurimac mountain range and the Ayacucho jungle. Today and according to the regionalization process that was initiated in 1988, the Department of Cusco converted itself into a Region.
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ALTITUDE : |
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Cusco is situated at aproximately 3,360 m. above sea level and is considered as one of the highest cities in the world.
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CLIMATE : |
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Cusco´s climate is relatively fresh. The annual average temperature fluctuates between 10.3°C and 13°C (between 50.54 and 52.34° Fahrenheit). There is some uniformity in the temperature between summer and winter. Normally, it´s cold at night and during the first hours of the morning. Then, the temperature rises considerably ´till midday. On sunny days, the temperature can reach 20°C.
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ACCESS WAYS TO CUSCO : |
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BY BUS :
There is today a good offer of land transportation services.
Itinerary: Lima – Nazca – Arequipa – Cusco, 1.650 Km. in about 24 hours by car.
Itinerary: Lima – Nazca – Puquio – Abancay – Cusco, 1.136 Km. in about 26 hours by car.
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BY TRAIN :
There is a railway service that connects the cities of Cusco, Puno and Arequipa.
The itinerary is Arequipa – Juliaca – Puno – Cusco and covers 750 Km. It lasts about 17 hours.
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BY PLANE :
Flights leave Lima for Cusco, on a daily basis and last 1 hour.
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EN CUSCO :
| Municipalidad del Cusco |
24-0006. |
| Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) |
23-6061 |
| Police de Turismo |
22-1961 |
| Radio Patrulla |
105 |
| Compania. de Bomberos |
116-22-1392 |
| Aeropuerto (informes) |
22-2611 |
| Hospital |
23-7021 / 22-3030 |
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ESP 
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