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It
is said that a thousand churches line the streets of Huamanga.
But the truth is that in the capital of the department of
Ayacucho, there is practically a church on every street corner:
there are 33 in all, built in Huamanga during colonial times,
each of them with their own history, their own art, their
own personality.
Founded by Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro in 1539, the
old city of San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga (Saint John
of the Frontier of Huamanga) features countless attractions
for the tourist, and is the ideal starting point to explore
the rest of the department. Just 22 km north of the city,
for example, lies the Wari citadel, capital of the Wari civilization
that flourished in the southern Andes from 500-1100 AD and
which once was home to a population of 50,000. Travelers can
also visit the Inca ruins of Vilcashuamán and the scenic
Lake Parinacochas, a haven for thousands of flamingos.
Easter week in Ayacucho is worth a separate mention, as it
is possibly the most spectacular and emotive version of the
Christian holiday in Peru. Daily processions, carpets of flower
petals and ritual re-enactments are just some of the ways
the Ayacucho townsfolk express their Christian devotion. During
the five-day celebration, visitors can taste traditional fermented
maize beverages such as Chicha de Jora, Chicha de Molle or
Chicha de Siete Semillas. At the end of the celebrations,
visitors can buy some of the traditional retablos (small portable
altars which represent scenes of everyday life in the Peruvian
Andes), figures sculpted from the white Huamanga stone, or
any of the different traditional arts and crafts made by Ayacucho
artisans, to cap off an unforgettable week in the City of
Churches. |
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