When the Spanish colonial troops began the conquest of Peru, Cuzco was one of the bastions of power in the Inca Empire. Its inhabitants are fiercely defended, double the city passed from hand to hand before the Incas retreated in 1536. The Catholic Church reacted very seriously to the construction of the cathedral in such an important colonial town of the region. Cathedral of Santo Domingo, it is called the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was built with care and attention to detail, and the continued construction of more than a century. Today the cathedral is one of the most important and popular tourist destinations in Cusco, and because of its great importance in the history of the city, and because of its beautiful architecture.
During the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Cuzco, the most important and prominent temples in the city was Coricancha - temple dedicated to the sun god Inti. Many historians believe that this was the most sacred temple in the Inca Empire. The Spaniards decided on the site of the temple of the Incas to build his cathedral, and used at the same time most of the construction material, going through the temple Coricancha. Today, visitors can still see a small amount of the ruined walls of the temple of the Incas near the back of the cathedral.
The small church, known as the Triumph Church, built in 1536, shortly after the city was conquered. But as soon as the Spanish authorities in these areas established, the city began to build a much more grandiose and impressive cathedral. Plans have been drawn up by the Spanish architect Juan Miguel de Veramendi. The cathedral was built in Gothic and Renaissance style that was typical of Spanish religious architecture at the time. Although there are some signs of the presence of Inca influence in the religious symbolism of the building, including the head of a jaguar on the main door of the cathedral. Construction of the cathedral began in 1559. Most of the population of the Incas was used for heavy work during the construction of the temple.
For centuries, the cathedral became home to several important religious artifacts, including the famous statue of the Black Christ, which is darkened by the candles for several centuries. It is believed that this statue has helped the church survive and persist after the devastating earthquake in 1650. On the right is a large tower of the cathedral bell Maria Angola Bell, 2 meters tall, weighing about 6 tons. His ringing can be heard at a distance of twenty miles. The cathedral kept an impressive collection of art spanning several centuries, including paintings in 1650, which are the oldest in the city.
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