Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, Cusco

Facing the Plaza de Armas beside the cathedral, this Jesuit church was completed in 1668 on the site of an Inca palace and is often cited as one of the finest examples of Andean Baroque architecture. Its towering carved-stone facade rivals the cathedral it neighbors, a rivalry that once required papal arbitration. Inside, a soaring gilded main altarpiece and painted ceilings fill the single nave. The elevated choir offers sweeping views across the square. The church's ornate frontispiece is among the most photographed in Cusco.