Kyle Magnuson

California - United States of America - 08-Aug-19 -

The Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas, the "Sistine Chapel of the Andes" was mostly lost to me in 2009. Its hard to appreciate such a structure without information and during a pit-stop on the way to Puno! Granted, the church does not take much time to explore, its murals and elaborate interior are exceptional. Considering this nomination has 10 components, this can barely be counted as a visit. However, since The Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas is one of the key properties I though I would write a review.

Between Cuzco and Puno, bus routes can be organized (at least as far back as 10 years ago) to stop at Andahuaylillas and Raqch'i for a limited amount of time. As I sleepily exited the bus, I appreciated the exterior of the church, but it's something else altogether to cross the threshold into the church where gold and murals await. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of the interior (or I tried), but the light was poor and the images were immediately deleted because of poor quality. I also remember having battery issues with my camera at the time, leading to a tight economy on pictures!

The proposed nomination may be underwhelming for some, but Peru is under-represented on the world heritage list and even their average tentative list entries are arguably worthy of inscription. Sites like the Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas were built over a pre-columbian ceremonial space, the emphasis on indigenous murals, and the importance of these churches as the doctrine temples of the indigenous people in the vicinity of Cuzco might be enough to claim OUV.

Read more from Kyle Magnuson here.