More austere than many of Cuzco’s other churches, Iglesia San Francisco (Plaza San Francisco; admission free; h6:30-8am & 5:30-8pm Mon-Sat, 6:30am- noon & 6:30-8pm Sun) dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, and is one of the few that didn’t need to be completely reconstructed after the 1650 earthquake. It has a large collection of colonial religious paintings and a well-carved cedar choir. The attached museum (admission S5; h9am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) houses supposedly the largest painting in South America, which measures 9m by 12m and shows the family tree of St Francis of Assisi, the founder of the order. Also of macabre interest are the two crypts, which are not to- tally underground. Inside are plenty of human bones, some of which have been carefully ar- ranged in designs meant to remind visitors of the transitory nature of life.

Menu