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QUITO
Quito: First World Heritage Site Photos courtesy of: Quito Tourism www.quito.com.ec
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Besides its amazing landscapes, Quito is known for its treasures of colonial churches, paintings, sculptures and carvings. The Spanish Colonial Period extends from the XVI to the XVIII Century. Ecuadorian colonial art combines the European Renaissance and Baroque styles with the indigenous and mestizo influences. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the Roman Catholic Church became the center of religious instruction and the largest patron of the arts. As part of the acculturation of the indigenous people, the Spanish established painting and sculpture
schools where Spanish artists trained the indigenous population in the arts. As a result, the Quitenian School (Escuela Quiteña) became famous in Latin America for its talented artists, including Bernardo de Legarda and the indigenous artists Caspicara and Pampite. Miguel de Santiago, Javier de Goribar, Manuel Samaniego and Padre Bedón were othe outstanding representatives of this art school. Scholars consider their contributions to colonial art as some of the most valuable in America. Thus, the UNESCO declared Quito a “World Cultural Heritage Site” in 1978. However, the history of Quito stretches far beyond the arrival of the Spaniards. Before the Spaniard Sebastian de Benalcázar conquered the city in 1534, the Incas had conquered it in the XV century. At the time when the Incas arrived, they found an organized civilization: the Shyris. Furthermore, recent discoveries have uncovered archeological
sites that date back to 1500 BC. These archeological remains are aligned with the summer solstice and the winter equinox, demonstrating that the native people had an impressive knowledge of the course of the sun. These cultures are believed to have migrated from the Ecuadorian Coast. Quitsato, the original name of the city, means “Middle of the Earth” in the ancient ‘tsafiqui’ language. Quito is the only site on the planet where the Equator crosses over highlands. On the rest of the Earth’s surface, it crosses through jungle or ocean. Therefore, the pre-Inca cultures were able to develop their astronomical knowledge with the help of the clear landmarks surrounding the city: the Pichincha volcano (15,000 ft) to the West, the Antisana (18,700 ft) to the east, and the peak of the snow-caped Cayambe (18,725 ft) to the Northeast, almost precisely on the Equator. The city itself emerges over