Cuzco, officially and legally written as Cusco (pronounced in

southern Quechua: Qusqu or Qosqo), is a city in southeastern Peru

located on the eastern slope of the Andes mountain range, in the base
of the Huatanay River, a tributary of the Vilcanota. It is the capital of
the department of Cusco and, furthermore, as declared in the Peruvian
Constitution, it is the "historical capital" of the country. The city,
according to the INEI, is the seventh most populated in Peru, and in
2017 it housed a population of 437,538 inhabitants. It was formerly
the capital of the Inca Empire and one of the most important cities of
the Viceroyalty of Peru.
 INCA FOUNDATION
According to the legend gathered by the Inca
Garcilaso de la Vega, Manco Cápac and Mama
Ocllo migrated from Lake Titicaca on the advice
of their father, the Sun god. They threw a golden
javelin; where it was nailed they founded a new
town. The chosen place was called Cuzco. On the
other hand, due to archaeological and
anthropological data, the true process of the
occupation of Cuzco has been studied. The
consensus indicates that, due to the collapse of the
kingdom of Tiahuanaco, the migration of its
people took place.
 SPANISH FOUNDATION
On March 23rd, 1534, Francisco Pizarro founded the city
of Cuzco in the Spanish way, establishing the location as
Plaza de Armas that still maintains the modern city and
that was also the main square during the Inca period.
Pizarro gave the city the name of The Very Noble and
Great City of Cuzco. In total, eighty-eight people were the
first residents who settled in the city at its foundation and,
to cover all organizational needs, the next day, March
24th, 1534. It was established that the mayors and
aldermen should be renewed annually. . Finally, in
October of that year the distribution of the lots among the
conquerors was carried out.
 LOCATION

Located in the southeastern region

of Peru, it includes Andean areas
and part of the high jungle. It limits
to the north with Ucayali, to the
south with Arequipa and Puno, to
the east with Madre de Dios and
Puno and to the west with Arequipa,
Apurímac, Ayacucho and Junín.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVITION
The department has a total area of ​71,986.50 km² with
a population of 1,205,527 inhabitants and is
organized into thirteen (13) provinces: Espinar-Yauri
Canchis-Sicuani
Paruro-Paruro
Anta-anta
Quispicanchis-Urcos
Calca-Calca
Urubamba-Urubamba
Cusco-Cusco
Paucartambo-Paucartambo
La Convencion-Quillabamba
Chumbivilcas-Santo Tomas
Acomayo-Acomayo
Canas-Yanaoca
GEOGRAPHY
Cusco presents abrupt
geographical
deformations, combining
fertile inter-Andean
valleys with imposing
mountains to then
descend towards the edge
of the jungle, where the
temperature rises and the
landscape is transformed
into varied vegetation.
   Parámetros climáticos promedio de Cuzco, Perú 
CLIMATE
A
n
Mes Ene. Feb. Mar. Abr. May. Jun. Jul. Ago. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dic. u
a
l

Temp. m
áx. abs.
 (°C)
27.8 27.2 26.1 26.1 28.9 25 25 25 27.2 28.9 27.8 30
3
0 Its climate is generally dry and
Temp.
máx.
1
9
temperate. It has two defined seasons: a
18.8 18.8 19.1 19.7 19.7 19.4 19.2 19.9 20.1 20.9 20.6 20.8 .

dry one between April and October, with

media
(°C) 7
5

Temp.
media
(°C)
13.8 13.8 13.7 13.2 11.9 11.1 10.6 11.9 13.1 14.3 14.6 14.1
1
3
sunny days, cold nights with frosts and
Temp. 4
an average temperature of 13 °C; and
mín.
media
(°C)
6.6 6.6 6.3 5.1 2.7 0.5 0.2 1.7 4 5.5 6.0 6.5
.
3
1
another rainy one, from November to
Temp. m
1.1 2.2 1.7 −1.4 −2.4 −5 −6.5 −4 −1.1 −1.1 0 0
−
6
March, average temperature 12 °C. On
ín. abs.
sunny days, the temperature reaches
.
 (°C) 5

7
Lluvias
 (mm)
145.3 133.7 107 43.2 8.7 1.5 4 8.6 21.8 39.4 71.9 122.7
0
7
.
20°C, although the light mountain wind
8
2
3
is usually chilly.
Horas de 143 121 170 210 239 228 257 236 195 198 195 158
sol 5
0

5
Humeda 5
d relativa 64 66 65 61 55 48 47 46 51 51 52 59
.
 (%) 4

[cita requerida]
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Cusco is famous for
Sacsayhuaman,
Coricancha,
Ollantaytambo and,
above all, Machu
Picchu. Of course, there
are also many other
tourist attractions.
SACSAYHUAMÁN
Located two kilometers
from Cusco,
Sacsayhuamán is a
complex of granite
platforms that connect
with each other by stairs
and doors. From the top
of a hill, this fortress
jealously protected the
capital of the empire.
MACHUPICCHU
An archaeological wonder of Peru
and the world, considered by
UNESCO "Cultural Heritage of
Humanity", and recently chosen
as "New Wonder of the World“.
Located on the left bank of the
Vilcanota River, in the Kusichaca
ravine, this spectacular
construction is located on the
summit of the Machu Picchu
mountain, which in Quechua
means "Old Mountain".
PIQUILLACTA: THE PRE-INCA CITY
Piquillacta (3,250 m.a.s.l.)
is an archaeological
complex built by the Wari
culture in approximately
the year 500 of our era.
The 50-hectare enclosure
contains up to 700
buildings in addition to
other constructions.
GASTRONOMY
Cusco gastronomy stands out
for the use of traditional
autochthonous foods rich in
carbohydrates such as
potatoes, corn and quinoa.
Likewise, for the different
types of peppers and various
types of meat such as guinea
pig, alpaca, pork rinds, ram,
among others.
MUSHROOM KAPCHI
Mushrooms were foods highly
respected by the Incas and to
this day they continue to
conquer the most exquisite
palates in the world. This dish
is consumed in winter to
replenish the human body in
the cold of the mountains. It is
a nutritious dish and
considered a good option for
vegetarians
CUSCO “CHICHARRON”
Pork rind is one of the typical
dishes most sought after by
tourists when they visit Cusco and
much more sought from the town
of Saya. Pork meat is cooked with
its own fat, which is the reason for
its peculiar flavor. The dish is
served accompanied by nickname
and Creole sauce. It should be
noted that pork rinds began to be
sold in 1927 and 1928.
CUSTOMS
Among the main customs of
Cusco that are still alive we have:
dances, festivities, crafts,
religious festivals, gastronomy or
the Quechua language itself, a
legacy of their Inca ancestors.
This land is full of customs and
cultural manifestations of various
kinds. These are the main
customs that the archaeological
capital of the Incas has .
THE INTI RAYMI FESTIVAL
It is one of the most famous Cusco
celebrations in the world. The
ceremony pays
homage to the sun god and thank
him for good harvests. During the
Spanish colony this religious
festivity was prohibited and
combated. In 1944, the people of
Cusco organized a festival to
commemorate their Inca ancestors,
and thus the Inti Raymi was
created, a giant staging that evokes
the Inca tradition. This event is
currently held in the Sacsayhuamán
Fortress.
TASTE THE 12 EASTER DISHES
To remember this important day
in the Christian calendar, the
people of Cusco prepare 12
typical salty and sweet dishes to
share with the family. Among the
dishes that parade on the tables
are pumpkin stew, fried fish,
Kapchi de habas, K'irku, Friday
soup, among other delicacies. In
addition, desserts such as
chancaca mazamorra, rice
pudding, and stew with peaches
and apples are enjoyed.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION!