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Ecuador History and Architecture Heritage
In a very real sense, Ecuador's history is its architectural heritage, and nowhere more so than in Quito's historic center, which features the largest concentration of pre-modern architecture in all of South America, and was thus declared by UNESCO a Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity in 1978. Along with the Galapagos, the Cotopaxi volcano, and the Amazon basin, it constitutes one of this country's principal claims to international recognition as a tourist destination. There are also impressive architectural monuments throughout other parts of the country, particularly in Cuenca and Guayaquil.Quito Unesco Heritage
With the fall of the Inca Empire in 1534, the first order of business for the Spanish Crown was to institute Roman Catholicism as both the principal religion and moral authority of the region. In fact, the first church in Quito, "El Belén," ("Bethlehem") even preceded the founding of the city itself. With the Convent of San Francisco, Spanish architects schooled in the Renaissance ideas of Michelangelo, Donato Bramante, and Sebastiano Serlio constructed the first of many large churches in Ecuador using forced indigenous labor, which was common in the colonial era. Thus, the facade of the San Francisco features Inca-style figureheads. The circular steps that lead into this same church were initially designed for, but never incorporated into, the Vatican. San Francisco is the greatest architectural jewel of the cities of Latin America. Some of the major attractions of San Francisco are: its main altar, the lateral chapels and the pulpit, they are of an outstanding beauty. In the main altar there is the image of the Virgin of Quito, carved by Bernardo de Legarda, main emblem of the Quito's art in la Escuela Quiteña.
Ecuador's history is its architectural heritage, and nowhere more so than in Quito's historic center...
The Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Merced is a building of profound historical and architectural significance in the city. Construction of this monumental complex started in 1559, and it covers an area of 29,000 square meters (church and monastery). It was built in a Baroque and Moorish style, and was initially called San Juan de Letrán chapel. The tower of la Merced houses in its foundations the remains of an Incan wall; however this church has been reconstructed a number of times due to earthquake damage.
The Basílica del Voto Nacional, which took over one hundred years to build (the first stone was laid on July 10th, 1892), is one of the last great displays of ideology and partisanship by the Catholic church in the Ecuadorian capital. From practically any corner of the city the largest gothic basilica in Ecuador and all Latin America is visible. It is one of the most beautiful churches in the city, adorned with gargoyles inspired by the country’s fauna such as armadillos, iguanas, Galapagos tortoises and more.
The building of the splendid Santo Domingo church and monastery got underway in 1581, and ranks as one of the most important religious structures in the city. In 1880, the church’s fortunes changed radically. A group of Italian priests arrived in the city with the aim of modernizing worship. In their desire for “development” they decided to update the image of Santo Domingo: they changed the color, modified the pictorial themes and even the Baroque altarpieces. They made functional reforms, which met the requirements of the new idea of worship imposed by the Europeans. So today we have a church with three naves, neo-classical painting and a colorful and vibrant Mudéjar-style roof. When you visit Santo Domingo, don’t forget to visit the lovely little Chapel of el Rosario.
