In the time of the Incas the main square was known as the 'Square of the warrior'. It has been the scene of several important events in the history of Cusco. Every year the beginning of the spectacular 'Inti Raymi' or 'Fiesta del Sol' is began here. It was also in the Main Square that Francisco Pizarro proclaimed the conquest of Cusco and it was also the scene for the death of Tupar Amaru I (1571), the commander of the unsuccessful Inca resistance. The arrival of the Spanish saw the Plaza surrounded by beautiful arcades of stone in traditional colonial style, these can still be seen and admired today. In the Plaza you also find the Cathedral and the church of the Society of Jesus.
