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altar. The choir, the stone Episcopal chair, the central painting by Manuel Samaniego and the statues by Caspicara are in neoclassical style. A museum that displays the clothes used by the priests on the XVII century (“casullas”), choral books and silver pieces of the church is open Monday thru Saturday from 9h30 to 17h30. Guided tour is $1.50 for adults and $1 for children. Phone: 257 0371.
9,184 ft above sea level; it is the second highest capital in the world. Thus, Quito could be considered the best natural astronomical observatory. Quito extends along the Eastern side of the Pichincha volcano. The city is long and thin, with a length of approx. 22 miles and a width of 2-3 miles. The temperature in the city varies along the day… in the early morning and at night it can be around 10ºC, and at noon it can reach up to 25ºC. The geographical conditions of the zone give place to a number of ecosystems, thus, Quito’s surroundings offer a diversity of landscapes, each with unique flora and fauna.
SIGHTSEEING We suggest that you to begin your sightseeing at “La Plaza de la Independencia”, from where you can walk to most of the downtown sites. This main plaza is surrounded by four buildings that represent the four ruling powers of the colonial period: the Government Palace to the west, the Municipal Palace to the east, the Archbishop’s Palace to the north, and the Cathedral to the south.
THE GOVERNMENT PALACE It is not possible to visit the interiors of the palace, however, from the entrance door one is able to appreci-
CENTRO CULTURAL METROPOLITANO LA COMPAÑIA
ate the Andalusian patios that have half-point arches and water fountains in the center. You can see a scale model of the Independence Square displayed at the entrance to the Palace.
THE CATHEDRAL This church holds an interesting collection of sculptures and paintings from the Escuela Quiteña. Among the most important is the “Descending of Christ” by Caspicara. It is a masterpiece of expressionism. As in most Ecuadorian and Latin American churches, many styles are used in the construction of the Cathedral: late Gothic in the arches, Moorish in the ceilings and Baroque in the main
The cultural centre is located on the corner of the Main Square, next to the Government’s Palace. The Jesuits originally constructed this building in the XVII Century. In 1767, when Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuit Order from the colonized territories, the buildings became a public University. In the last decade of the XVIII century, the buildings became the army headquarters of the Spanish Royal troops sent from Lima to repress the early independence efforts. Thus, the building was known as the “Royal Barrack of Lima”. In this building, the heroic efforts for independence ended up in a massacre of a number of patriots from Quito on August 2, 1810. The Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum displays this massacre with life-size wax sculptures, as well as other important scenes of Quito’s history. The Cultural Center also holds a museum of colonial art and the Municipal Library as well. There is also a Contemporary Art exhibit room, which houses temporary exhibitions. Open Tuesday thru Sunday from 9h00 to 18h00. Admission fee to the museum is $1.50; students and senior citizens $0.75; children $0.50. Phone: 295-7062.
EL SAGRARIO
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE
This church was originally the main chapel of the Cathedral, built for the cult of the Holy Sacrament. It has been kept for this service to this day. The stone facade with its ornamented Salomon columns is an excellent 65