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This strange volcanic black brick church framed by white doors is the Church of San Agustin. The Augustinian order, to which it belongs, arrived in Quito in the mid-16th century, but their convent will not be completed until 1617.
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The Palais de Carondelet, which borders Independence Square, is the official residence of the Presidents of the Republic of Ecuador. In colonial times, the palace was the seat of the royal audience and the civil and military government of the region.
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You have here, on your right, the entrance to the metropolitan cultural center. If you’ve had your fill of churches and convents and want to see some contemporary art, then open the door to this once prominent Jesuit university converted into a cultural centre.
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Fundacion Iglesia de la Compania
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You now arrive in front of the one that is probably the most important church in Quito, that of the company of Jesus. This is the church of superlatives. Over time, it has been nicknamed “The Solomon Temple of South America,” “the Golden Ember,” and the Spanish ambassador to Ecuador has described it as “the best Jesuit temple in the world.”
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Quito
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This colorful mural is the magnificent work of the Spanish artist Oscar San Miguel, known as “Okuda”. His style is characterized by pop-surrealism and his works are as colorful and geometric as they are committed and full of contradictions.
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El Cap Quito Escalada Climbing
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Here on your right you have the cultural center called “El Tianguez”. It is a complex formed by a museum/craft shop, made up of seven exhibition and sales rooms, as well as a cultural café focused on discovering the culinary traditions of the Andes, the ocean coast and the Amazon.
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Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco
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The great church of San Francisco that stands before you is one of the oldest in the capital, having been built just one year after the founding of the city by Sebastian de Banalcazar after his capture of Quito.
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Mercado de San Francisco
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You will certainly not contradict me, a large part of the trip takes place at the level of gastronomic discoveries! Nothing better to discover a country than to eat like its inhabitants.
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La Virgen del Panecillo
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From this square along the boulevard of May 24, you have a clear view of the Panecillo and its famous statue of the Virgin with angel wings. It was the Spaniards who named this hill the Panecillo, or bread roll, in relation to its shape.
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Calle La Ronda
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The street you are now walking up is known to be the prettiest in Quito. This well-maintained pedestrian street is as it was in the 18th century.
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The large Santo Domingo Square is home to a monument to Marshal Sugar in the centre. Let me say a few words about this hero of the war of independence, admittedly less well known than his counterpart Simon Bolivar, but who liberated Quito and gave his name to the Bolivian capital of which he was the first president, as well as to the ancient currency of Ecuador.
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Teatro Bolivar
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The beautiful pale pink building you now have before you is the Teatro Bolivar. It was founded on 15 April 1933 and its large hall could accommodate more than 2,400 spectators.
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Catedral Metropolitana de Quito
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The large plaza, or Independence Square, is framed by several important buildings. This is the case for all the main squares of South America, often called Plaza de Armas because it was where the various representations of the power of the Spanish crown were installed.
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Plaza de la Independencia (Plaza Grande)
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Here you are in the heart of the city, in its plaza de la independencia colloquially known as plaza Grande. It is the main square of the city, political and historical center of the country and symbolic seat of the President of the Republic.
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You are here, in front of the palacio arzobispal, translate: the palace of the archbishop. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Quito and the official residence of its archbishop. In 1535, when the ecclesiastical parish of the city was created, the country you are visiting today does not yet exist.
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Plaza del Teatro
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You are now on the beautiful theater square facing the magnificent facade of the Teatro Sucre. It is one of the oldest opera houses in South America and the most prestigious in Ecuador. It was inaugurated in 1886, so before the Cristobal teatro in Bogota and the Colon teatro in Buenos Aires.
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So, with the Basilica del Voto Nacional, we are in the mood right now! She imposes them and for good reason! It is the largest Gothic Revival temple in the Americas and the tallest in South America.
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The beautiful white and blue church you see there is the iglesia of Santa Barbara. It was built in the 16th century and the Jesuits occupied it from 1586 to 1589. It is one of the city’s most modern churches and has few antiquities.
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You are now in the court of the church and its Merced convent, express mercy. The first church was built here in the early 17th century, but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1660.
