Ayacucho: Churches, Museums and Handicrafts

Ayacucho brings together religious architecture, historical collections and handicrafts. If you are looking for a hotel in Ayacucho, these themes can shape the focus of your stay: churches and temples, museums or work in workshops. The city offers specific points of interest for each of these interests.

Churches and Architecture in Ayacucho

Ayacucho’s Plaza Mayor is surrounded by stone arcades dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, with red-tiled roofs. The Basílica Catedral de Ayacucho is a 17th-century temple with ten altarpieces covered in gold leaf. The Templo de la Compañía de Jesús has a stone façade and two brick towers decorated with carved floral friezes. The Templo y Monasterio Santa Clara is a religious complex with a Mudéjar-style ceiling and altarpieces, including one dedicated to Jesús Nazareno.

Museums and Religious Art

The Museo Histórico Mariscal Andrés A. Cáceres in Ayacucho has 13 permanent exhibition rooms. On display are letters, photographs, garments, colonial paintings and objects from the war with Chile. The Templo y Convento de San Francisco de Asís has the largest bell in the city and preserves colonial paintings from the Cusco and Ayacucho schools.

Handicrafts in Museums and Workshops

The Casa Museo Joaquín López Antay presents the life of the master craftsman, the process of making retablos and the awards recognizing his contribution to Peruvian folk art. In the neighborhoods of Santa Ana, Puca Cruz and Belén, visitors can watch master craftspeople make their work in local workshops. This offers two distinct perspectives: the museum focuses on a master’s life and work, while the workshops let you observe artisans at work. In the wider Ayacucho destination, other traditional crafts highlighted include alabaster carving in Piedra de Huamanga, pottery, filigree and the Retablo de Huamanga.

City Tour and Semana Santa

A half-day city tour of Ayacucho includes the Plaza Mayor, the cathedral, notable mansions, the Santa Ana handicrafts neighborhood, temples and museums. It brings together several architectural and cultural themes in half a day.

During Semana Santa, the Miércoles de Encuentro procession takes place every year. It begins at the Templo de Santa Clara and culminates in the meeting of Jesus and the Virgen Dolorosa. If you are planning to travel for this tradition, check the dates for the relevant year in advance.

Viewpoint in the Ayacucho Area

Outside the city, in the Carmen Alto district near Ayacucho, is the Mirador Turístico Acuchimay. It offers a 360-degree view toward the city of Ayacucho. The viewpoint complements the city’s architectural and museum attractions with a view from outside the city.

For the wider travel overview: Ayacucho.