The Coricancha show in Inti Raymi

The Coricancha show at the Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi is an Inca festival that is currently celebrated in Cusco every June 24. That day there are three shows in three historical settings: the Coricancha, the Main Square and the Sacsayhuamán fortress. In this last scenario, the most important show takes place with the cost of an entrance ticket. In Coricancha and Main Square, free shows are held for the entire public. Find out what the show is like at Coricancha, the temple of the sun of the Incas.

The Coricancha and convent of Santo Domingo

The Coricancha and convent of Santo Domingo is one of the best tourist attractions in Cusco. Its name means ‘Golden Enclosure’. The fact is that, according to the chronicles, in the Inca era its walls and main temples were decorated with sheets of gold, silver and precious stones.

The Coricancha is made up of two immense buildings: the Inca temple and the colonial temple. The Spanish enclosure is superimposed on the Inca building. The Inca building managed to survive the two most powerful earthquakes in Cusco: in 1650 and 1950. The Spanish construction did suffer damage and had to be repaired.

The Coricancha was the most important Inca temple in the entire empire (the Tahuantinsuyo). It was built for the worship of the sun (Inti), the main Inca deity. In addition, other Inca deities were worshiped there, such as: the enclosure of the stars, the enclosure of the rainbow, the enclosure of lightning and more.

The Convent of Santo Domingo is a church built on the foundations of the Coricancha (Inca temple) in the 16th century. The Spanish, as in all the most important Inca buildings in the city of Cusco, built churches on top of the most important Inca palaces and temples. The objective was to replace the Inca sacred places with Spanish places as a form of cultural imposition.

The Coricancha is located on Santo Domingo s/n street, a few steps from El Sol avenue in the historic center of Cusco. The visit costs 15 Peruvian soles (approximately $4). Visiting hours are Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Sundays from 2 pm to 5 pm.

The Coricancha in the Inca era

In the Inca era, Coricancha was the most important religious temple. Its origins date back to the time of Manco Cápac, in the mid-13th century. It is even presumed that that site was worshiped by the cultures that inhabited the Cusco valley before the arrival of the Spanish (such as the Marcavalle and Killke).

Its original name was Inticancha or Intiwasi, which means ‘the House of the Sun’. The Incas worshiped the sun there as their highest deity. The importance of Coricancha was such that only the Inca, the high priest and the acllas (virgins of the sun) were authorized to enter its shrines.

The Coricancha was remodeled under the government of the Inca Pachacutec, who ordered the reconstruction of its structures, achieving the most perfect walls of the entire new Inca empire. The temple was renamed Coricancha (golden temple) because its walls were decorated with fine sheets of gold.

The chronicles also indicate that the Inca ordered the mummies of the Inca rulers to be taken there. These were decorated with masks, headdresses, bracelets, scepters and gold benches. In addition, patios, rooms and a vast and exuberant decoration of gold, silver and precious stones were added.

Pachacutec also reorganized the Inti Raymi festival, making it one of the most important in the empire. The main festival took place in Coricancha, the great Inca temple. This festival took place on the winter equinoxes, between June 20 and 23.

In 1533 the Spanish arrived in the city of Cusco, stealing the riches from the Coricancha temple. The chronicles described the temple as ‘incredibly fabulous’. To subdue the Inca religious beliefs (considered pagans) they built the Convent and Church of Santo Domingo on the Coricancha. A part of the Inca buildings in Coricancha were destroyed by the Spanish.

Both the Coricancha and the Santo Domingo church remain together from the 16th century to the present day. Despite the strong earthquakes of 1650 and 1950, the solid Inca construction has survived unscathed. The Spanish building suffered severe damage and was rebuilt on several occasions.

The Coricancha at the Inti Raymi

Coricancha is one of the three stages where Inti Raymi takes place (every June 24). The other two are the Main Square and the Sacsayhuamán fortress.

The Coricancha show starts at approximately 9 in the morning. The show is free for everyone and lasts approximately 45 minutes. From the early hours of the morning many people stand in the places with the best view of the show (on the Coricancha esplanade).

People who arrive 30 minutes before the start of the show unfortunately will not find a nearby space to appreciate the show. You just have to find the best place to appreciate the show from a distance. The Inti Raymi is a massive show and you have to be careful with personal belongings.

The entire ceremony begins in the Coricancha temple, a mystical place that was considered the most important temple; Now, its well-preserved vestiges elevate the Inca, where it makes its first appearance before the cult of his people.

The Inca takes his scepter synonymous with power and addresses everyone in his first speech and in complete Quechua (the language of the Incas). The people who kneel humbly understand that the festival of the sun has begun.

After this presentation, a tour begins where the Inca shows all his vigor and power along the paths that his ancestors traveled, carrying his faithful warriors on his shoulders. The Inca will begin the Festival of the Sun with an offering of chicha and coca leaf.

The show is accompanied by around 300 actors and actresses who play the role of the Inca, the coya (wife), the high priest (who leads the ceremony), as well as the army and the emissaries of the four suyos or corners of the empire: the Chinchaysuyo, the Antisuyo, the Collasuyo and the Contisuyo.

In addition to the actors and actresses, a musical group with live vocals participates in the show. The music is performed by soprano singers. After 45 minutes of the show, the Inca and his entire entourage are transferred to the Main Square of Cusco where at 11 in the morning the second Inti Raymi show will take place.

How to see the Inti Raymi show at Coricancha?

The Inti Raymi show takes place on the Coricancha esplanade, a public space where any visitor can appreciate the show freely at no cost.

Unfortunately, the show is seen by hundreds of people, Cusco residents and foreigners. Because of this, many people look to settle in a space until the night before the show. Some people even wait in a seat at dawn in front of the Coricancha esplanade. This way they can get the best space to appreciate the show.

In recent years, the Cusco authorities had approximately one hundred seats to appreciate the Inti Raymi right in front of the Coricancha. To enter these seats it is necessary to make an online purchase in advance.

Inti Raymi in Coricancha and Sacsayhuaman: differences

These are the differences between the Inti Raymi show in Coricancha and Sacsayhuaman:

Frequently asked questions about the Inti Raymi show in Coricancha

These are the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding the Inti Raymi show at Coricancha: