Fodor's Expert Review Iglesia de La Compañía de Jesús

With its ornately carved facade, this Jesuit church on the Plaza de Armas gives the Catedral a run for its money in the beauty stakes. The Compañía, constructed by the Jesuits in the 17th century, was intended to be the most splendid church in Cusco, which didn't sit too well with the archbishop. The beauty contest between the churches grew so heated that the pope was forced to intervene. He ruled in favor of the Catedral, but, by that time, the iglesia was nearly finished, complete with a baroque facade to rival the Catedral's grandeur. The interior is not nearly so splendid, however, although it's worth seeing the paintings on either side of the entrance depicting the intercultural marriage between a Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess. Tourists are admitted to Masses under the condition that they participate in them; start wandering around and taking photos, and you'll be shown the door.