Plaza
del Teatro
This small traditional square
is part of the historic quarter and is also known as the Plaza
Chica (Little Square). The Teatro Nacional Sucre can be found
here, one of the country's most important cultural venues. The
gorgeous building, erected in 1878, hosts frequent plays and concerts.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the city slaughterhouse operated
on one side of this square. At the end of the 18th century the
square served as a bullring. The money collected from the sale
of tickets to the bullfights was used to build the park La Alameda.
The square has a small fountain in the middle and is a busy hub,
crossed daily by thousands of pedestrians.
Please
note that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found
to the right of this pages. 
Iglesia San Agustin
Ecuador's declaration of independence
was signed at this church on Chile and Guayaquil on August 10,
1809. Many of the heroes who battled for independence are buried
under the floor. No surface is left unpainted, including the likenesses
of saints, which line the arches against a pastel background.
A black Christ occupies a side altar. The attached Convento/Museo
de San Agustin on Chile and Flores features loads of colonial
artwork on the walls and surrounds a palm-filled courtyard. Don't
miss the incredible carved benches and altar of the Sala Capitular
on the first floor.
Iglesia EI Sagrario
Formerly the main chapel of
the Catedral Metropolitana, this separate church was begun in
1657 and completed half a century later. The walls and ceiling
of the short nave are painted to simulate marble-even the bare
stone is speckled black and white in a half-hearted granite imitation.
Impressive paintings and stained glass windows decorate the center
cupola. Bernardo de Legarda, the most outstanding Quiteiio sculptor
in the 18th century, carved and gilded the baroque mampara
(partition) inside the main doorway.
Plaza San Francisco
Further west of the Plaza
de la Independencia is the Plaza de San Francisco, which contains
a beautiful church and monastery, as well as a museum. Head up
the set of circular stairs to the front of the Iglesia
San Francisco, where vendors of religious souvenirs keep
visitors stocked with rosaries, candles, incense, icons, and amulets.
This building, the largest and oldest colonial edifice in the
city, was begun on the site of an Inca royal house within weeks
of the city's founding in 1534. Much of the original construction
has been lost to earthquakes, but some original work remains-look
to the right of the main altar in the chapel of Senor Jesus de
Gran Poder for an example.
Inside amid the musty odor
drifting up from the creaking wooden floorboards. Bare light bulbs
are almost swallowed by the dusty gloom, with little help from
the small, high windows. Seeing the carved roof alone is worth
a visit. Notice how many of the design motifs come from the Inca,
including the smiling/frowning faces of sun gods, repeated several
times, and harvest symbols of flowers and fruit. The Franciscan
Museum, houses one of the finest collections of colonial art in
Quito, dating from the 16th-19th centuries. |
