Cusco under Spanish colonial rule

Timeline

1. c. 1438–1533Cusco · CuscoAs the Inca political and religious center, Cusco displayed imperial power through stone fortifications like Sacsayhuamán and a radial street layout, and remained the core administrative center of the highlands before the Spanish occupation of 1533.
2. 1535Cusco · CuscoIn the 1530s the Spanish established municipal and ecclesiastical institutions in Cusco, demolished Inca temple foundations to erect religious buildings, and reorganized the flow of indigenous labor and tribute through the encomienda and mita systems.
3. 1550–1650Cusco · CuscoFrom the mid-16th century, complexes such as the Cusco Cathedral and Jesuit buildings were completed, establishing the city as a center of colonial religious art and a transit point for the silver trade, with Inca stone walls and Baroque facades coexisting to form a distinctive urban landscape.