Quito: the city built on the ashes of the Incas

For: Javier Brandoli (text and photos)
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[tab:Travel]
The turbulent history of the Spanish conquest of America has left a trail of legends in which there is no academic consensus. Among the many enclaves trail emptied last Inca chieftain is Quito.Un, Rumiñahui, behind the flames, say, ended with the splendor of the big city.

A Spanish policy relevant told me to get to Quito, for her, was the most beautiful capital of America. I think I share criterion, it is always difficult to make ratings to places-, but the Ecuadorian city is a fascinating surprise to the traveler. His life on the streets, that homes are only places you go to sleep, reflects a different way of understanding life. Parks are terraced houses where people are cooking, cutting hair or enjoying the sunny days. All in Quito is out of doors.

Quito but also perfectly conserved traces of the colonial era. City lights and words, by contrast, have not been in it traces of pre-Columbian times. In the sixteenth century the city took on a monumental style Hispanic, created by several Catholic missions, with the construction of the churches of San Francisco, Santo Domingo, The Cathedral and San Agustin. All these buildings are in downtown, singular near the town hall, and are one of the best preserved examples of colonial architecture in Latin. The exclusive financial and residential, where they are most hotels, is not more than 30 minutes walking. The route between the two areas is interesting and I recommend it on foot.

But this magazine is a proposal for travelers who are interested in history. One way to discover what lurks wherever we go, between the stones. Why has not kept Quito any other pre-Columbian? On this issue mentioned in this report. He speaks of the absence of history so much history between.

We begin here this short tour of the old Quito and start one of its hallmarks, the legends. Actually, data are not very accurate as to whether it is accepted by Quito reality or not. They say that before the arrival of the Spanish, Rumiñahui, an Indian warrior, set fire to the city and destroyed Inca temples were built there. This would explain the lack of pre-Columbian remains an important enclave of the most extensive empire that has existed in history, the Inca. Now, What about truth in all this legend?

They say that before the arrival of the Spanish, Rumiñahui, an Indian warrior, set fire to the city and destroyed Inca temples were built there

Among historians there is no common position. Rumiñahui was one of the generals who accompanied Atahualpa in Cajamarca, to meet with the Spanish. He watched the fall of Atahualpa at the hands of Pizarro, in a historic battle, (and another time will tell) and undertook, with the troops, removal to Quito to organize resistance to new invaders. After gathering an army of 12.000 men to do battle again. The Spanish troops, meanwhile, involved in internal scuffles rights of conquest, were commanded by Sebastian Benalcazar, decides to march without waiting for reinforcements 500 men who had come along with Pedro de Alvarado (Pizarro had marched on Cuzco).

The Spanish found support in the Canari, tribe of Ecuador enemy of the Incas, who supported 11.000 Spanish warriors to the host. The meeting between the two armies took place on 3 May 1534, in guacamote. The battle went through several phases, took longer than two months and, despite the advances of the Spanish, Rumiñahui troop was the most damaging breach their enemies. But, the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano changed the sign of the struggle. The Incas were washed in the vomit of a divine sign of defeat and there was a stampede of soldiers. Rumiñahui had to retreat and began to burn each of the villages found in their retreat to avoid their exploitation by the conquistadors. They did the same thing in Quito, where the jewels plundered the temples, killed the virgins of the sun known as (beautiful women who worshiped the sun god and looked askance at the Spanish) and burnt the city, taking with him an immense booty. Nothing found conquistadors to reach the large capital, so persecuted Benalcázar Rumiñahui to arrest him on a nearby rock inaccessible. She took him back to the desolate Quito, where he was tortured to tell where he had hidden the treasure. Repeatedly lied to the Spanish who tired of his jokes decided to hang.

This is the most recognized in the history of Quito, but some researchers deny these facts and Ecuadoreans say the lack of pre-Columbian artifacts in the city is because the conquerors destroyed and built upon them the Christian churches. Where are the current convent of San Francisco, would have been the temple of Viracocha Huanacauri-, next to the apartments of Huayna Capac. There are many studies on the distribution that made the city the Inca, Quito. Quadrants are recognizable today in districts and on which stood the great Christian churches. We do not know how to Quito was not burned to the ground, Indian City, but we can contemplate the beauty of the city today, the colonial.

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Iberia handkerchiefs direct from Madrid to Quito.

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The traveler fell asleep at the Swissotel. A good hotel but high price. There are cheaper options

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-The Bagel Restaurant. It is located under the monument of the great statue of the Virgin that crowns the city. The views are magnificent and the atmosphere.

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-Visit the museum Guayasimin. It's in the neighborhood of Bellavista and is open Monday through Friday 10 a 17:30 hours. Spectacular collection of paintings of a universal Quito. "I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a child who had no feet", reads one of his T-4 murales.En Madrid, Barajas, in the fast train platform, there is a work by this author.

-The museum explains Casa de Sucre American wars of independence. Open Tuesday to Friday and on Saturday mornings. You should also visit the monasteries and churches of colonial style mentioned in the beginning of the text.

-To read. Quito: traditions, legends and memory, edited by LIBRESA. A compilation of hundreds of legends about the city.

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