Ayacucho, a colonial town worth visiting

The gorgeous city of Ayacucho is one of the most distinguished colonial urban centers of the continent. It is an architecture jewel of baroque, renaissance, and mestizo (mixed race) styles, built since Francisco Pizarro founded the city in 1540. It is perhaps the colonial city with more churches built within its limits by the Spaniards, thirty-three churches with their own art, character, and history. All churches are at walking distance from each other.

The colorful celebration of Easter Week in Ayacucho features the passion of Christ on a path of beautiful flower carpets. It is a joyful environment of popular festivities, fireworks, and commercial fairs that culminates with bullfighting and cockfighting events. It begins before Palm Sunday, and ends on Easter Sunday with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

In the outskirts of Ayacucho, tourists in search for ancient culture settings, can visit the archaeological sites of Wari, the first Andean empire (500-1100 AD) and Vilcashuaman, a management center of the Incas.