Located on the northwest side of the city, considered one of the oldest and most traditional neighborhoods of the city of Cusco, it is in this neighborhood that some 700 years before Christ one of the first American cultures settled in these hills, we talked of the Chanapata culture, then with the arrival of the Incas to this sector, the neighborhood was called Qarmenca neighborhood.
Archaeological studies found in numerous ceramics, as well as lithic samples belonging to the Chanapata culture; While in the time of the Incas this sector was the preferred sector for some ayllus, who were dedicated entirely to agricultural production and proof of this can be seen to this day the andenería system that is most visible in the sector of Arcopata ; This population was made up of the Inca natives as well as a large number of Cañaris and Chachapoyas, populations coming from the South of Ecuador as well as from the Lambayeque Region of present-day Peru because they were war races placed in that sector by Túpac Inca Yupanqui and Huayna Capac in order to protect the entrance to the Capital of Tahuantinsuyo; writings of the Chronicler Martin de Murúa, indicate that these tribes Cañaris and Chachapoyas were also the members of the personal guard of the Inca.
On November 14, 1533, the Spaniards made their entry to the Imperial City of Cusco, making their entry from Cerro Qarmenca, from there they began their descent to the Valley of Cusco through the Alley that is now known as the name of Calle Conquista, once the city was taken, the Spaniards began to distribute the properties located in Qarmenca to all their soldiers who opened demonstrated great courage in their struggles, two of the most noted were Juan de Betanzos and Diego de Silva, this division generous genre that Qarmenca is the first sector where new houses were built as well as colonization not only physical but also psychological and proof of this is the construction in 1560 of what is now known as the church and parish of Santa Ana, whose existence is based on the conversion to Catholicism of all Indians, therefore this temple was known as the church of Indians because of these acts.
A particular story concerns Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenant Francisco Chilche, this character would have been mayor of Indians of Cañari origin in the Santa Ana neighborhood, Francisco offered his services to Pizarro when the Conqueror arrived in Limatambo, perhaps that is why Chilche is attributed the murder caused by a deadly poison to the descendant of Huayna Capac, Sayri Túpac, when he was just 21 years old in the town of Oropesa.
However, the whole story through which this beautiful neighborhood is, it is impossible to tell in a single post, but I can only say that the neighbors, as well as NGOs that work in the place are committed to preserve their image, and have an obligation to keep it that way, since it is one of the attractions of the city most visited by foreigners in Peru, it is also one of the places where there are more hostels.
With all this, one often wonders continually why Santa Ana has not yet integrated all the tourist attractions of the city of Cusco, having the oldest tradition tradition of the city of Cusco.
We invite you also to climb the slope of Santa Ana that, although it can exhaust your energies, I assure you that your tour will show much of the Cusqueña culture, and more if you do it on foot, so if you have not visited this traditional neighborhood yet, What are you waiting for?
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