The church of santo domnigo

The most revered structure of the city was the Temple of the Sun.  It was here that the Church of Santo Domingo was erected in 1534.  The construction of the church was under the supervision of Fray Vincente de Valverde who would later become the first bishop of Cuzco.  The walls of the Temple were so strong that they could not be completely dismantled so they were incorporated into the foundations of the Church.  Included in the church complex  was a monastery.  The monstery was also built atop the foundations of the Incan temples of the Moon and Stars.

Although constructed on Incan foundations, the Spaniards used architectural styles that were common in Europe at the time.  One of the most common European styles imported to Central and South America is baroque.  The figure on the right shows the church in its present condition.  This end of the building was the location of the apse, the curving protrusion behind the high altar, which was destroyed in one of the many earthquakes Cuzco has suffered.  This apse was located on top of the throne of the Sun temple.  Although the church does not exist in its complete form, it is still possible to note the solidity of its form, which is typical of Andean baroque.