Archaeological complex of Pisac in Cusco

HISTORY OF PISAC

Pisac is a large archaeological complex located in P’isaq, province of Calca, 33 km. To the east of the city of Cusco.

There is a strange coincidence between the distances that unite P’isaq, Cusco, and Pikillacta. The distance between Cusco and P’isaq is 30 km; it is the same distance if you measure from P’isaq to Pikillacta, and from Cusco to Pikillacta is also 30 km. By uniting these three cities straight line, a perfect equilateral triangle is created, creating multiple speculations around the incredible architectural genius of the Incas.

The beauty of its walls, built with large stone blocks polished with extraordinary symmetry, and unmatched stone handling, leaves the visitor perplexed.

At first, astonishment is inevitable; then, deep respect arises for the creators of those centenary buildings, dumb witnesses of the greatness of an empire.

“On the shores of Willkamayu, the sacred god-river that runs through channels of carved stone dominating its fury, begin the stripes of light and shadow of the famous platforms of P’isaq, the great city of partridges. Built on a ridge of blue rock, almost over the air to see the most beautiful of the valleys of Cusco, “says the Peruvian journalist Alfonsina Barrionuevo of this ancient Inca city.

P’isaq is formed by enclosures that possibly include dwellings, aqueducts, roads, bridges, a cemetery, walls, and significant areas of enormous andenerías.

When Antonio Raymondi, the Italian naturalist and geographer, visited the complex of P’isaq, he was amazed by the beauty of its walls and buildings, which also testified to this: “The thing to admire more in P’isaq is the Fineness of the carving and the perfect union of the stones, that without any mixture are well assembled, that hardly the fine, straight lines, curves or broken are perceived, as to demonstrate the difficulty of the cut and the skill of the execution.

From a distance are doors, streets, stairs, towers, barracks, and rooms, Suspended at the top of the picachos and where the imagination of the most daring builder hardly dared today or even conceive a building.

This population has an Inca part and a colonial one. Písac and its central square are fun places full of color and with several handmade articles for sale. This town is known for its astronomical observatory. The architecture of Písac is also mestiza built on indigenous remains by the viceroy Francisco de Toledo. Here you can attend a mass in Quechua among indigenous and varayocs or regional mayors. Likewise, we can verify how the Inca agronomists solved planting on the slopes of the hills.