Quito’s Historic center

The historic center of Quito is a large sector of the city that was raised on the ashes of what was the capital of the northern half of the Inca Empire until the Inca General Rumiñahui burned it to its foundations trying to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Spanish conquers. It is located in the south center of the city of Quito, in Ecuador, on an area of ​​3.75 km and is considered the best preserved historical set and one of the most important in Latin America.

                It has around 130 monumental buildings, decored with a great diversity of pictorial and sculptural art, mainly of a religious nature inspired by a multifaceted range of schools and styles, and five thousand properties registered in the municipal inventory of heritage assets.

                The Historic Center of Quito was declared by Unesco, together with Krakow (Poland), the first Cultural Heritage of Humanity on September 8, 1978.

This place has the magic to transport those who visit it to past times, while they walk between colonial style houses and its stone sidewalks. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city was hardly located within the boundaries of the Historic Center. Currently, this sector constitutes a very small part of what the whole city is, but it is, without a doubt, the richest sector from the historical and cultural point of view. Some of the most famous independence battles and executions took place in the same squares where tourists, bystanders, vendors, and beggars are now wandering.

               One of the most interesting aspects was that during colonial times the native and Spaniards cultures coexisted and got to mix

This place is very important for the city also in the tourist aspect, the historic center is the main attraction of Quito that attracts more than 44,000 tourists a year. Since Quito began to promote tourism, about 70 years ago, the historic center of the city was always one of the main attractions due to its cultural, historical and architectural wealth and also because of being on the side of a volcano, the Pichincha that rises about 4794 MASL.

The Historic Center of Quito can be visited any day of the year and at any time.There are a lot of places to visit but the most emblematic  are “Plaza de la Independencia” or “Plaza Grande”, which has around it the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito and the Palace of Carondelet, where they make guided tours.

This wonderful place is one of the architectural and historical gems of Latin America and the world. It is of utmost importance for Ecuador due to its rich history and its tourist attraction, it is definitely perfect to be visited by tourists who want to appreciate its architectural beauty or learn a about the history, culture of Ecuador.