For those of you contemplating a visit to Peru, there is no better time to experience Cusco and Machu Picchu than at the end of June. Not only is the dry-season weather sunny and bright, but the city's spectacular festivals are in full swing. The final two weeks of June are devoted to dance performances and art parades celebrating Cusco, which are incredible to see. The month culminates in the larger festivals of Corpus Christi and Inti Raymi, which highlight the Colonial and Incan traditions of the city.
Corpus Christi: A medieval festival meant to celebrate the Eucharist, Corpus Christi has been observed in Cusco since the Colonial period. It is one of the oldest celebrations in Cusco. Fifteen saints and virgins from surrounding churches are brought to the primary plaza of the city, where they are paraded on lavish litters before being taken into the main cathedral to salute Christ. The bearers sweat and grimace, some bare-footed, as they follow brass bands toward the cathedral. The saints themselves are incredible works of art and the whole day is a rich expression of religious faith.
(See more photos of Corpus Christi in the gallery at the end of the post!)
Inti Raymi: This Incan festival celebrating the sun is observed each year on the winter solstice (June 24 this year). In Inca times, animals were sacrificed, the Inca was honored and offerings were made to cajol the sun into returning and nurturing crops. Processions through the streets of Cusco feature dancers and actors reenacting the role of the Inca, his wife, warriors and nobles. The parade begins at the site of Q'oricancha, the Inca temple of the sun, moves to the main plaza of Cusco where there is a reenactment, and finishes with a long performance at the fortress of Sachsayhuaman. The man currently portraying the Inca is a pure descendant of the Incas and his father played the role before him. The whole day is a bit theatrical, but it’s wonderful to see this celebration of ancient ritual. This year, we had the pleasure of watching the parade with an expert in the textiles of pre-conquest Latin American cultures. She noted that all of the costumes are quite true to life. The Incas embraced duality – man and woman, sun and moon, organization and chaos. Much of this is represented in their woven dress. For example, the hems of the women’s skirts were comprised of rings of orderly pattern. This represented the order of the Inca people. The rest of the skirt was covered in a riot of animal and plant patterns, representing the chaos of nature. This is certainly an event to experience! I highly recommend getting tickets for seats at the performance at Sachsayhuaman. We felt extremely grateful to be able to be front and center for the dancing, the speeches (all in Quechua) and even the llama sacrifice (faked quite well).
Enjoy our Corpus Christi and Inti Raymi photo galleries!
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