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Culture Of Quito

City of Quito
Quito's Colonial section, has hanging balconies and hidden patios that are testimonies of our traditional beliefs, legends and customs, result of a blend of our natives and the Spanish culture. You may be able to visit the museums, art galleries and studios of world famous painters as Oswaldo Guayasamin or Oswaldo Viteri, or you can go out in the evening and enjoy the finest gourmet cuisine, including some Ecuador's most prized dishes.
Just a few miles north of the city lies that imaginary line known as the equator. But there's more to see than a line; the Middle of the World Monument contains an impressive ethnographic display of present day Native cultures.

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, lies beneath a line of volcanoes that rise up from the Andes into the blue sky. As the equator is a few kilometers to the north, the sunrays fall directly onto this region and so we advise visitors to wear sunglasses at the brightest hours of the day.

Quito's Art
Quito's citizens have cherished art since pre-Inca times. The pre-Columbian treasures are exhibited in different museums of the city, such as the Museum of Musical Instruments in Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana; which contains pottery and cane instruments that provide evidence of the advanced knowledge of the indigenous groups. But perhaps, the clearest example of this esteem for beauty is the Museo de la Ciudad of the colonial section of Quito. Despite earth tremors and volcanic activity, the architecture of most of the colonial buildings remains in good conditions as the well preserved art items of the Cathedral of Compañia de Jesus, which is a vivid testimony of the baroque vision of its constructors.
Quito's sculptures are represented in its extent history of artists. Perhaps the most famous sculpture is The Immaculate Virgin Mary with wings, crushing a serpent; which has become the symbol of Quito. This huge sculpture can be seen on top of the Panecillo, the highest point in the colonial area.

The Historical Center

The Historical Center
The first colonial buildings were constructed around a main square, which is today known as the Independence Plaza or Plaza Grande. A bronze and marble sculpture, representing our liberty, was lift in 1908. This curious monument shows a wounded lion by an arrow, while a condor with its wings unfolded is carrying away broken chains in its claws, an image which portrays the conflict between Spaniards and our people.
Strolling around the plaza is always a pleasant experience. The shoeshine boys ply their trade under the palm trees, while old men sit and linger on the stone benches, discussing the news of the day, in the heart of the country's affairs.

If we go up the wide stone steps that can be clearly seen from the Plaza Grande, we arrive to the first mystical secrets of Quito: the Metropolitan Cathedral. Built in 1535, it was subsequently modified and restored by foreign architects following the clerical architecture customs of the colonial time.
To the west of the Independence Plaza is the 18th century Government Palace, which boasts decorative iron balconies that once adorned the Tuileries in Paris. The gates are watched over by the Presidential Guards, who wear uniforms of the Independence era.
The streets follow the rugged terrain of a city built among mountains and ravines. The lofty houses supported on stone pillars and adorned with fine wooden or iron balconies have splendid doorways with bone - inlay stone floors. Scattered among the houses are a whole host of different churches, monasteries and convents belonging to the most important religious orders.

La Compañia de Jesus Church in on Garcia Moreno St. its baroque facade on volcanic stones started in 1605 and took 170 years to be finished.
The recently renovated Santo Domingo Square and the arch that has the same name can be seen next to the monastery and the church. Inside this church you'll find fine gold leaf works on a crimson background and the Virgin of the Rosary, which was brought from Spain in the 17th century. The founder of the School of Quito of Painting, Friar Pedro Bedon, worked in this church from 1586.
Further up the street towards Pichincha is San Francisco Square, where in the colonial era the water was tanked was transported. The great ethnic diversity that can be seen here every day is notable. The church houses a painting of the Almighty Jesus, which is similar to the one in Seville.
The highest tower in the Historical Center (47 mts) belongs to the Basilica de La Merced, which was completed in 1737. The lintel with its paintings of the sun and the moon leads to the main altar, which was carved by Bernardo de Legarda.

 

What to Visit

Museums
*Central Bank of Ecuador, one of the most important museums in the country. It houses archaeological pieces that date back 10,000 years, the pottery, silver and gold artifacts are fine examples of a priceless cultural past. Colonial art, Republican art, Contemporary art, ethnology and numismatics are all exhibited here.

*Alberto Mena Caamaño. Municipal Museum of Art and History. The building once belonged to the Jesuits and subsequently to Royal Barracks of Lima. In its dungeons Spanish troops executed the rebels of the independence movements. This fact was recreated by some wax figures. It also contains important 16th century works.

*Aurelio Espinosa Polit Museum. Contains interesting archaeological collections and examples of colonial, Republican and contemporary art. There is a numismatics section, and also historical texts, ethnology and cartography.

*Museum of Colonial Art. Housed in an 18th century building surrounded by trees and plants, with a colonial-style fountain inside. Famous works by Miguel de Santiago, San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Lucia from the School of Quito of Art. Including important canvases as well as works by Legarda and Caspicara.

*Antonio Jose de Sucre's House. This was the home of Antonio Jose de Sucre. On display are curtains, ornaments, furniture, arms and clothing of the colonial era.

*Benalcazar's House. Contains colonial art collection and the Inmaculada virgin by Bernardo de Legarda. The interior courtyard with stone columns is decorated with flowers.

*Camilo Egas's Museum. This colonial building houses a collection of paintings by Camilo Egas. Visiting contemporary art exhibitions are held here.

*Jacinto Jijon y Caamaño's Museum. Have displays of pre-Columbian pottery and various colonial art collections, plus an extensive library.

*Benjamin Carrion's House of Ecuadorian Culture. Have a number of permanent exhibition halls:
Pedro Traversari: musical instruments
Diogenes Paredes: Contemporary painting.

*Pedro Leon: painting and sculptures of the thirties.
*Joaquin Pinto: Plastic arts of the 19th century.
*Jose Enrique Guerrero: contemporary Latin American art. Book Museum

*Amazonian Museum. This museum houses various artifacts belonging to the different indigenous groups from Amazonia; the same building is also home to the Abya - Yala publishing houses and book shop, which has an extensive bibliography on indigenous culture.

*Guayasamin Museum and Foundation. There are exhibitions of pre-Columbian vessels, and colonial painting and sculpture. Paintings by Oswaldo Guayasamin, as his famous series La Edad de la Ira (The Age of Rage). Contemporary art exhibitions and examples of artistic jewelry.

Galleries
Art Forum, La Gallery and Sala de Rate Contemporaneous. Posada Kingman, Galeria Artes, with a permanent selection of pre-Columbian art.

La Mitad del Mundo
A visit to the to the Equinox Line Monument, near San Antonio de Pichincha, is a priority. Situated on 0ºC latitude, once sacred spot in pre-Columbian times where important festivals were held. At midday on the September equinox, the direct sun casts no shadow at all.
The gigantic monument commemorates the measurements of the earth that were made in the 18th century by the French Geodesic Mission. There is a viewpoint on the monument, and inside is an interesting ethnographical museum showing the different indigenous groups of Ecuador. Nearby a Spanish style town offers novelty and handicraft shops, and good restaurant serving traditional food.

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