TUPAC INCA YUPANQUIS PALACE
XI D.C.
IN HIS BOOK “ROYAL COMMENTS OF THE INCAS”
1609 GARCILASO DE LA VEGA
WHEN DESCRIBING THE IMPERIAL ROUTE HE ASSURES US THAT THE
BLOCK
CONSISTING OF THE ACTUAL STREETS AREQUIPA, STA. CATALINA
ANCHA, SAN
AGUSTIN AND MARURI WERE THEN CALLED PUCAMARCA. THEY WERE
CONSIDERED PART
OF CUSCO OR HIGH CUSCO. HE SAYS THAT TUPAC YUPANQUI INCA,
SON AND
SUCCESSOR OF THE GREAT PACHACUTEC HAD HIS PALACE BUILT THERE.
HE THEN SELECTED BEAUTIFUL STONES WITH PERFECT ANGLES TO
CREATE
THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PROPERTY.
DURING THE SPANISH CONQUEST, IN THE LOT DISTRIBUTION OF
MARCH 1834
BETWEEN THE 87 NEIGHBORS THE PUCAMARC LOT WAS ASSIGNED TO
NOBLE
CONQUISTADOR DON PEDRO DEL BARCO. HE WAS THE GOVERNOR OF
CUSCO
AND HE LEFT DESCENDANTS OF INCA PRINCESS CATALINA URCO OF
THE EMPEROR
HUAYNACAPACS LINEAGE.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE XVII CENTURY THIS ENORMOUS ANCESTRAL
MANSION
WAS DIVIDED AND BECAME HOME OF SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN FAMILIES.
SOME OF THESE FAMILIES WERE THE CONTRERAS AND VALVERDES
WHOSE
HOME EXPANDED TO THE CORNER OF THE AREQUIPA AND MARURI STREETS.
FOR TWO CENTURIES, FROM THE SECOND HALF OF THE XVIII CENTURY
TILL
HALF WAY THROUGH THE XX CENTURY THIS ANCESTRAL MANSION BELONGED
TO
THE ASTETE FAMILY. THE FIRST OWNER WAS MR. DOMINGO LUIS
ASTETE MERCADO,
MARRIED TO MRS. ROSA TORRES Y SOLIS, HE WAS AN ATTORNEY
FOR THE ROYAL
COURT OF APPEAL OF LIMA, IMPORTANT RURAL PROPERTIES AND
OF A REMARKABLE
LIBRARY. THIS WAS ALL INHERITED BY HIS DESCENDANTS WHO WERE
DISTINGUISHED
IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY WERE WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE VICEROYALTY,
THE EMANCIPATION AND THE REPUBLIC.
THE VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE WHICH MOVED CUSCO IN MAY 1950 CAUSING
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION DID NOT DAMAGE THE STRONG STONE WALLS
OF
TUPAC YUPANQUIS PALACE BUILT 600 YEARS PRIOR. IN THE MEAN
TIME THE COLONIAL
AND REPUBLICAN BUILDINGS SUFFERED MUCH DAMAGE. THIS DAMAGE
IN TIME
WORSENED THE HOMES AND DESTROYED MANY OF THEM.
THE CONQUEST.
THE SPANIARDS ARRIVED TO CUSCO IN FEBRUARY 1533. A YEAR
AND A MONTH
LATER THE GOVERNOR PIZARRO CARRIED OUT THE FOUNDATION ACT
OF THE NOBLE
AND GRAND CITY NAMING MAYORS AND DIVIDING THE LOTS AMONG
THE FIRST
EIGHTY-SEVEN NEIGHBORS.
