Day 2 -- Old Town Tour

 

Buenos Dias! This is the view from the breakfast room. Beautiful!

 

Military at the Presidential Palace

  

 

Iglesia El Sagrario

Began 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. Bernardo de Legarda, the most outstanding Quiteno sculptor of the 18th century, carved and gilded the baroque partition inside the main doorway. 

 

 

Centro Cultural Metropolitan

They were featuring art "People of Ecuador"

This picture reminded me of the men at the thermal pools in Banos. Hilarious!

  

 

  

   

Iglesia de la Catedral

Hero of Independence Antonio Jose de Sucre is buried here. On August 6, 1875, president Gabriel Garcia Moreno drew his last breath after being attacked with machetes outside the presidential palace. He is now buried here also, as is the country's first president, Juan Jose Flores.

  

Watching these children while waiting in line for a tour was great! They were determined to all stand on a post together!

 

   

 

 

The Meeting Room

   

 

The balcony where the President comes out on Monday's to greet the city

The President lives on the top floor.

  

The Banquet Room

 

This is gorgeous!

 

Juan Jose Flores and Simon Bolivar

Six tables long!

 

These are all gifts given to the President. The President doesn't see a need to keep them so he will auction them off.

 

Mask from Ecuador (2010), Africa (2010), and Ecuador (2008)

Beijing Olympics (2008)

 

The room where important documents are signed.

 

Each gentleman on the wall was able to choose their own artist for their portrait. 

 

  

 

 

The Presidential Palace

The ironwork on the balconies over the plaza, originally from the Tuileries Palace in Paris, was purchased just after the French Revolution. Current president Rafael Correa opened the doors of the palace to daily visitors in 2007. 

 

Archbishop's Palace

It's an indoor courtyard with many small shops and eateries.

I was curious to see what 4 pancakes and guacamole was... here it is!

 

You are asked to not take any pictures...I had to snap at least one!

Okay, maybe two! This painting depicts hell, where sinners are labeled with one of the deadly sins, and receive excruciating punishments. I thought there were only 7 deadly sins but there were more than 7 labeled in the painting! We're all sinners one way or another, I guess!

   

La Compania

This is one of the most beautiful churches in the Americas and certainly the most extravagant. Seven tons of gold supposedly ended up on the ceiling, walls, and altars of "Quito's Sistine Chapel", which was built by the wealthy Jesuit order between 1605 and 1765. The church has been restored from the damage caused by the 1987 earthquake and fire in 1996. 

The outside consists of full-size statues, busts, and sculpted hearts. The inside has eight side chapels, one of which houses the guitar and possessions of Quito's first saint, Santa Mariana de Jesus--her remains are under the main altar. 

 

People of the Quito streets.

 

San Francisco Plaza

 
 
 
 
 

Iglesia San Francisco
Convent and Museum
The oldest colonial edifice in the city and the largest religious complex in South America. It was begun on the site of an Inca royal house within weeks of the city's founding in 1534. The first wheat grown in in Ecuador sprouted in one of this courtyards, and Atahualpa's children received their education in its school. Inside, it's easy to imagine yourself in the 16th century, with the musty odor drifting up from the creaking wooden floorboards. The choir room upstairs is amazing!

High Choir: This place was devoted to the Franciscan monks' prayers during their convent life. It was also the place where they participated of the Holy Mass. The physical space was built by the Master Builder Jorge De la Cruz Mitina and his son, Francisco Morocho, in the XVII century. The authorship of the decoration arts of the choir has been attributed to Friar Francisco Benitez, famous Franciscan sculptor who endowed the Mudejar coffered ceiling to the church, as well as the main altarpiece and the choir stalls. The most astonishing detail observed in this place is the "coffered ceiling" at the highest part of the choir area. 

The ceiling represents the universe and has as much as 4,600 pieces that were put together by pressure and don't have nails or glue of any kind. On the ends we can observe a wind rose and the four cardinal points in Mudejar style. In the center we find the lectern, a piece of furniture where choral books were placed for prayers and singing praises. The choral book includes two large volumes, hand-written in parchment and usually bound with animal leather and iron staples. In 1647, it was described like this: "The high choir... embellished with 81 chairs, middle-sized Saints, Angels, Virgins, and Saints from the Order... the rest, from chairs to ceiling, is all covered with large and beautiful canvases that picture de Acts of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, decorated by golden cedar shelves and columns... It was a lectern as well... the pediment is made up of four columns under a half orange and above there is a child with four angels, and under there's a statue of the Immaculate Conception..."

Pipe Organ: In the early XX century, the Franciscan Community put a lot of short to buy a new organ. On December 23, 1932, this acquisition was celebrated with a solemn mass. The pipe organ was brought from Spain. The setting of this musical instrument meant modifications in the space assigned to it. In order to arrange its placement, a large portion of the choir stalls was removed. Of the 81 seats described, 61 were kept, and also additional modifications were made." The walls were plastered with a mixture made up of oil and some other substance, which gave them a light cream color; in the highest edges, across the walls, the frieze was painted in a style related to the Mudejar coffered ceiling. 

 

 

 

Walking to the Basilica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

La Basilica del Voto Nacional

This church reminds me of the castle in Beauty and the Beast. It is gorgeous! 

Construction began in 1892 and is still officially unfinished. Its two 115-meter towers make this the tallest church in Ecuador. The "gargoyles" are actually a menagerie of local animals. You are able to climb inside each tower, which was amazing! 

 Dinner at Crepes and Waffles... highly recommended!

Driving back to our hotel and saw this beautiful building which is the theater.

Iglesias San Francisco

Today was amazing! Instead of doing the city bus tour, we decided to do our own walking tour around Old Town. I had my handy dandy Ecuador book which was very useful in taking us to a lot of the churches in Quito. They were all so beautiful inside. Unfortunately we were unable to take pictures in most of the churches which is a bummer. The detail that is put into each church is astonishing. I loved it! I need a Catholic friend to teach me about their religion. So many symbols, Saints, paintings, and details I need to learn about. It was an incredible day!!