Gold, God…potatoes…in Quito, Ecuador

 

 

Iglesia de San Francisco. Quito, Ecuador
Iglesia de San Francisco. Quito, Ecuador

 

La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, Quito, Ecuador
La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, Quito, Ecuador

Since the start of history gold has been connected to the divine and the boundaries of people, state and heaven have intertwined in myriad and mysterious patterns.  In post conquest 16th century Quito (Ecuador), An A-list of priests, monks and nuns from four of the Church’s most influential religious orders provided the patronage for a celebrated era of artistic expression.

La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, Quito, Ecuador
La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, Quito, Ecuador

Sumptuous interior decorations, intricate carvings and golden altars express prominent Moorish geometrical figures, Italian Renaissance style and European baroque architecture. In the 1970s UNESCO dubbed it “Quito Baroque” in their 1978 designation of Quito as a World Heritage Site.

 

 

 

 

Just click the link to see many more photos and read the article…

To the glory of gold and God in Quito, Ecuador

 

The iconic soup of Ecuador: Locro de Papa
The iconic soup of Ecuador: Locro de Papa
One of 200 varieties potatoes in Ecuador
One of 200 varieties potatoes in Ecuador

At least 4,000 varieties of potatoes grow in the Andean Highlands that encompass territory stretching from northern Argentina through Ecuador. An important food staple for all pre-Columbian Andean cultures, the Incas created chunu – dehydrated potatoes that could be stored for up to a decade.

Read how a vegetable becomes a national icon and follow a simple recipe for an Ecuador national dish:

The iconic soup of Ecuador: Locro de Papa

 

rich soil in the crater of Pululahua Volcano just north of Quito
rich soil in the crater of Pululahua Volcano just north of Quito

 

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