• Peru Guide

  • Introduction to Peru
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Entry requirements
  • Money
  • Getting around
  • Public holidays

• Explore Peru

  • Lima
  • Around Lima
  • The south coast
  • Arequipa
  • Around Arequipa
  • The Titicaca Basin
  • Cusco
  • The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
  • Around Cusco
  • The Central Sierra
  • The North
  • The Jungle

• Cities

  • Arequipa
    
  • Ayacucho
    
  • Cusco
    
  • Huánuco
    
  • Iquitos
    
  • Lima
    
  • Trujillo
    

Peru Guide

Cusco

Iglesia de Santa Clara

Opening time: Daily 6am–6pm

Price: Free

The small but beautiful Iglesia de Santa Clara was partly restored in 2005 and originally built around a single nave in 1558 by mestizo and indigenous craftsmen under the guidance of the architect Brother Manuel Pablo, it contains a gold-laminated altar, small mirrors covering most of the interior, and a few canvasses. The outside walls, however, show more interesting details: finely cut Inca blocks support the upper, cruder stonework, and four andesite columns, much cracked over the centuries, complete the doorway. The belfry is so time-worn that weeds and wildflowers have taken permanent root.