Sites of Interest: Old Town

Plaza del Teatro

This small traditional square is part of the historic quarter and is also known as the Plaza Chica (Little Square). The Teatro Nacional Sucre can be found here, one of the country's most important cultural venues. The gorgeous building, erected in 1878, hosts frequent plays and concerts. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the city slaughterhouse operated on one side of this square. At the end of the 18th century the square served as a bullring. The money collected from the sale of tickets to the bullfights was used to build the park La Alameda. The square has a small fountain in the middle and is a busy hub, crossed daily by thousands of pedestrians.

Iglesia San Agustin

Ecuador's declaration of independence was signed at this church on Chile and Guayaquil on August 10, 1809. Many of the heroes who battled for independence are buried under the floor. No surface is left unpainted, including the likenesses of saints, which line the arches against a pastel background. A black Christ occupies a side altar.

The attached Convento/Museo de San Agustin on Chile and Flores features loads of colonial artwork on the walls and surrounds a palm-filled courtyard. Don't miss the incredible carved benches and altar of the Sala Capitular on the first floor.

Iglesia EI Sagrario

Formerly the main chapel of the Catedral Metropolitana, this separate church was begun 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 in a half-hearted granite imitation. Impressive paintings and stained glass windows decorate the center cupola. Bernardo de Legarda, the most outstanding Quiteiio sculptor in the 18th century, carved and gilded the baroque mampara (partition) inside the main doorway.

Plaza San Francisco

Further west of the Plaza de la Independencia is the Plaza de San Francisco, which contains a beautiful church and monastery, as well as a museum. Head up the set of circular stairs to the front of the Iglesia San Francisco, where vendors of religious souvenirs keep visitors stocked with rosaries, candles, incense, icons, and amulets. This building, the largest and oldest colonial edifice in the city, was begun on the site of an Inca royal house within weeks of the city's founding in 1534. Much of the original construction has been lost to earthquakes, but some original work remains-look to the right of the main altar in the chapel of Senor Jesus de Gran Poder for an example.

Inside amid the musty odor drifting up from the creaking wooden floorboards. Bare light bulbs are almost swallowed by the dusty gloom, with little help from the small, high windows. Seeing the carved roof alone is worth a visit. Notice how many of the design motifs come from the Inca, including the smiling/frowning faces of sun gods, repeated several times, and harvest symbols of flowers and fruit. The Franciscan Museum, houses one of the finest collections of colonial art in Quito, dating from the 16th-19th centuries.

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