ArtandCulture, Arequipa

Have you ever though of living on a middle of the lake? The Uros people of Lake Titicaca have achieved just that at 3,810 metres above sea level! They created their own floating island from local reed to house their villages. They fish and travel by boat from one island to another. You can visit the islands with a tour and see how the people of Uros live or book a homestay with a local Uros family to fully experience their way of life. https://www.peruhop.com/floating-uros-islands/

Machu Picchu is an Incan city surrounded by temples, terraces and water channels, built on a mountaintop. It was built with huge blocks of stone joined to each other without any mortar. Today it has been designated cultural heritage of humanity in recognition of its political, religious and administrative importance during the age of the Incas. Machu Picchu means Old Mountain, taking its name from the location of the Incan citadel. According to historians, the architectural complex was built in the 15th century, approximately, by the Inca Pachacutec. Machu Picchu was linked to the entire Inca Empire via the Qhapaq Ñan, the famous roads of the Incas. The citadel is divided into two areas: the agricultural area consisting of the terraces, and the urban section, which served administrative purposes. The average altitude of the citadel is 8047 feet above sea level. Its exact location is in the Machu Picchu district, province of Urubamba, 70 miles northeast of the city of Cusco. The mountains of Wayna Picchu and Machu Picchu are perfect for taking panoramic photos of the entire architectural complex. https://www.peru.travel/en-us/what-to-do/ancient-peru/machu-picchu-sanctuary.aspx

The Museo Universitario Charcas is located in a 17th century mansion and is owned and operated by the Universidad San Francisco Xavier. Museo Universitario Charcas comprises three separate museums: the Anthropological Museum, the Colonial Museum, and the Gallery of Contemporary Art. The anthropological museum was established in 1944. It is responsible for collating and preserving the region’s anthropological data, and has items from 3,600 years ago right up to the beginning of the Spanish colonization of the area. The museum exhibits include mummified human remains dating from 700-800 AD, and the highly detailed pottery work of the Yampara culture. The colonial museum houses hundreds of artifacts from Sucre’s colonial times, including religious artifacts, paintings and objects fashioned from Potosi silver. One of the most noteworthy works is Melchor Pérez Holguín’s, San Juan de Dios, with its exceedingly accurate depiction of human hands. Sucre’s museum of modern art, the gallery of contemporary art, exhibits works by local artists, many of which focus on the hardships faced by the indigenous population, particularly those working in the mines of Potosi. http://www.sucrelife.com/places/museo-universitario-charcas/

The Cathedral of Lima in the city’s historic centre is Lima’s most iconic building and home to the best museum of religious art. It is also known for being home to the tomb of Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro. The main church of Peru dates back to 1535 when Francisco Pizarro first laid the foundation for the church which would serve the new Spanish colonists. The temple was inaugurated in 1540 and elevated to the status of cathedral in 1541 when the Lima diocese was formed. The new design included the two neoclassical bell towers the structure is recognized by and the main altar. Other renovations came in the 19th century and after the earthquake of 1940. The Cathedral of Lima was visited by four saints of the colonial era including Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, San Juan Macias and San Francisco Solano. In 1985 Pope John Paul II visited in a historic first, and he returned in 1988. With all the phases of construction led to a mix of architectural styles, as in most of Lima, including neoclassical, baroque and gothic. http://limacitykings.com/cathedral/

The Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas (as it was known until 1990), is the oldest public place in Lima. In 1535 the conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded on the area of an existing indigenous settlement the city of Lima. He designed the main square in the central part of the future city Lima with all important institutions built around it. On the north side of Plaza Mayor is the Palacio de Gobierno, the presidential residence and in colonial times the location of Francisco Pizarros house - later the Palace of the Viceroys. On the east side, you find flanked by the Archbishop's Palace the Cathedral of Lima. The Palacio Municipal is located on the west side of Plaza Mayor. Depending on their importance and rank wealthy and influential immigrants were allowed to build their mansions on properties near the Plaza Mayor. In colonial Lima, the main square was the economic centre of the city. The arcades in front of the main buildings, the small today called Pasaje Olaya and other adjoining streets were full of all sorts of shops. The plaza housed for a long time Limas big food market. https://www.limaeasy.com/culture-guide/plazas-city-squares/lima-main-square

Founded by Belgian priest Gustavo Le Paige, the Archaeological Museum that takes his name shows the evolution of the atacameñan culture throughout more than eleven thousand years, through a valuable collection of Andean archaeology that it includes, among other things, pieces of ceramics, clothes, utensils, and mummies, being famous the old atacameñan mummy found in the desert and baptized like Miss Chile. The history of the museum goes back to 1955 when Le Paige takes root in San Pedro by its church work and, in a parallel way, dedicates to the study of the atacameñan past. Crossing villages and cemeteries he manages to collect the material that is kept in the parochial house. With the aid of the local population, the priest reunites the materials and initiates the construction of a place where to expose the pieces and soon he obtains the support of the Catholic University of the North, then pertaining to the Jesuita order, to qualify the museum. In 1957 the first museum is inaugurated, which contained numerous Hispanic pieces (ceramics, textile, metals) and atacameñas mummies. In 1963, with the support of the Catholic University of the North, it inaugurates the first pavilion of the present museum, located in the center of San Pedro de Atacama. This museum counts with a collection of approximately 380,000 pieces found in the atacameñan territory, that correspond to the period from the origins of the San Pedro culture to the arrival of the Spanish. https://www.explore-atacama.com/eng/touristic-services/padre-le-paige-museum.htm

Tulor Village was an important city circa 2800 b.C. with 200 inhabitants. Today, it´s a museum that seems to have been burried under the sand, right in the middle of the desert. The new town features houses built with mud, just like the first inhabitants used to build their homes, surrounded by walls that worked as protection. The constructions reach the 2 meters high and most of them have balconies. https://www.visitchile.com/en/tulor-village/

At the beginning of XIX century it was property of Juan Antonio de la Carrera and his wife. He sold these lands to the Portuguese Merchant Francisco Salvador Alvarez in 1840, and he built here his house. http://www.vinadelmar.travel/tour/quinta-vergara.html

Located on one of the borders of the Parque Independencia, on Pellegrini Avenue, the Juan B. Castagnino Museum of Fine Arts is the most important museological center in the heart of the country. Conceived in 1936 as one of the most modern buildings for its time, it has two stories with a total of 35 exhibition rooms. In the inside, it treasures works from all times, origins and schools. The museum’s heritage consists in two permanent collections: European art, from the XV to the XX century and Argentinian Art, from their precursors to contemporary artists. https://www.welcomeargentina.com/rosario/castagnino-museum.html

The city of Rosario was marked by a historical fact whose relevance transcended the local context, setting a landmark on national history: the hoisting of the National Flag created by Manuel Belgrano, on the cliffs of the Paraná River in February 27, 1872. This significant event filled the people of Rosario with so much pride that they slogged away at raising a monument in commemoration of such episode. Today, Rosario has the responsibility of showing the world the National Monument to the Flag, unique in its kind, planted on the historical cliffs of the Paraná, those which witnessed the birth of the colors of our motherland. https://www.welcomeargentina.com/rosario/rosario-flag-monument.html

he Teatro Municipal Enrique Buenaventura is the cultural centre of Cali built using early 19th century architecture influenced by Creole classicism. http://www.colombia.travel/en/where-to-go/pacific/cali/activities/enrique-buenaventura-local-theater

The Colón Theater opened on October 27, 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America, and was reopened in July 2014 after a renovation that began in 2008. The restoration of the front curtain, which features "dolls" or "monkeys" drawn on a nineteenth-century linen cloth, was an important part of this renovation. http://www.colombia.travel/en/where-to-go/andean/bogota/activities/colon-theater

At the Banco de la República’s Gold Museum, visitors witness an unforgettable experience: as they stand in a dark room, bright lights suddenly switch on to reveal hundreds of gold ornaments. The museum features about 13,000 gold artifacts and 20,000 stone and clay objects originating from various pre-Hispanic cultures. http://www.colombia.travel/en/what-to-do/andean/bogota/experiences/gold-museum

An outdoor space in which the citizens of Ibagué converge to spend the afternoon is the Parque de la Música, located next to the Conservatory of Tolima. As the name implies, musical performances are usually held here. http://www.colombia.travel/es/a-donde-ir/andina/ibague/actividades/camina-por-el-parque-de-la-musica

A place where the artistic trends in this region are appreciated is the Tolima Art Museum, which has seven exhibition halls in which collections of Colombian painters and traveling works of different regional, national and foreign artists are exhibited. http://www.colombia.travel/es/a-donde-ir/andina/ibague/actividades/conoce-el-museo-de-arte-del-tolima?language=es

The Museum of Latin American Art (MALBA) houses the Fundación Costantini collection, with more than 400 works of art by important 20th century Latin American artists. The modern building, constructed from limestone, steal and glass, was built in 1997 by the Atelman-Fourcade-Tapia studio, winners of an international competition whose jury comprised celebrated architects Norman Foster, César Pelli and Mario Botta. The museum is a dynamic, participatory cultural space that, as well as its important permanent collection, showcases a diverse range of major temporary exhibitions, often collaborating with other international museums to bring important artists from around the world. It also boasts a growing library of films and runs important film series, and hosts talks, courses, seminars and book presentations in part of the museum dedicated to literature. The cafe with its park views is also highly rated. https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/malba-museum-latin-american-art

The National Museum of Fine Arts houses one of the best art collections in Latin America, and the biggest collection of Argentine art. Located in the Recoleta neighborhood, and part of the Museum Mile, it's permanent collection includes work by El Greco, Goya, Rodin, Rembrandt, Rubens, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, Chagall and Picasso. Argentine painters include Cándido López, Lino Enea Spilimbergo, Prilidiano Pueyrredón, Fernando Fader, Benito Quinquela Martín, Xul Solar, Antonio Berni, Carlos Alonso y Antonio Seguí. https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/museo-nacional-de-bellas-artes-fine-arts-museum

According to British newspaper The Guardian, El Ateneo Grand Splendid is the second best bookstore in the world. It preserves the splendour and elegance of the former Gran Splendid theatre/cinema, which was designed by architects Peró and Torres Armengol. Located in the Recoleta neighbourhood, El Grand Spendid theatre opened in 1919 and immediately became a beacon of porteño culture, hosting ballet, opera, and the first "talkies" shown in Buenos Aires. The national Odeon record label - now owned by EMI - was based here, and singers such as Carlos Gardel recorded on the premises. https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/atractivo/el-ateneo-grand-splendid

The Colón theatre is considered one of the best opera houses in the world, together with La Scala in Milán, the Opera Garnier in Paris and the Royal Opera House in London, and is renowned for its acoustics and architecture. Designed by Francesco Tamburini, Victor Meano and Jules Dormal, and built over 20 years, the theatre opened in 1908 and went on to host some of the most important conductors, singers and dancers of the twentieth century, including Igor Stravinsky, Herbert von Karajan, Daniel Barenboim, Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Rudolf Nureyev, Julio Bocca and Maximiliano Guerra. https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/atractivo/teatro-col%C3%B3n

Wonderful stories await to be unveiled behind its doors. In the neighborhood of San Telmo, the National Historical Museum is one of the most representative in the Federal District. Home of all the events that took place in Argentina, it also shows stories from Pre-Columbian America and anecdotes from the days of the colony. Located at the highest point in Lezama Park today, MHN is the perfect reflection of ancient architecture. Its front gardens have been impeccably preserved. Many iron and bronze figures, such as old bells and cannons, are on display there. The gate known as Puerta de los Leones (Lions’ Gate), which connects the gardens with the park itself, is also intact. https://www.welcomeargentina.com/ciudadbuenosaires/national-historical-museum.html

Located in La boca, the Caminito (little path, in Spanish) is a street museum of colourful painted houses typical of the immigrant dwellings that came to chracterise this portside area towards the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century. The Caminito followed the route of an old stream that once flowed into the Riachuelo, and later, after the river dried up, formed part of a railroad route. After the closure of the railroad, the street was largely abandoned until in the 1950s a group of neighbours decided to regenerate the area and local artist Benito Quinquela Martín began using the tenements as his canvas. Today, there are several works by Argentine artists incorporated as part of the street museum and the Caminito has become a favourite with visitors to the city. Several restaurants offer tango and folk dance shows and street fills with artists offering original crafts and paintings. https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/caminito

Bolívar Square lies at the center of Manizales and is surrounded by the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Governor’s Palace, among other buildings. In the square you can admire Bolívar Condor, a sculpture made in tribute to Simón Bolívar made by Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt, as well as ceramic murals by local artist Guillermo Botero. http://www.colombia.travel/en/where-to-go/andean/manizales/activities/bolivar-square?language=es

The Cathedral of Brasilia was the first monument built in the city and its cornerstone was set in September 1958. The structure was completed by 1960, a time when only the circular area was visible, measuring 70 meters of diameter and working as foundation for 16 concrete columns weighing 90 tons. The Cathedral was inaugurated in May 1970. Consecrated architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the church, as well as the Alvorada Palace, the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Federal Supreme Court buildings, among others. The church has a peculiar beauty. Held by 16 arched pillars that form a thorn crown, the central nave is covered by an immense stained glass panel projected by Marianne Peretti, made out of glass fiber pieces in blue, green, white and brown. Inside the church, three huge angel sculptures by Alfredo Ceschiatti float from the ceiling suspended by steel cables. The baptistery is covered in tiles painted by Athos Bulcão. The Via Sacra is a piece of work by Di Cavalcanti and the image of Our Lady Aparecida is a replica of the original, this one located in Aparecida, in the state of Sao Paulo. https://www.visitbrasil.com/attractions/brasilia-cathedral.html

Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa, the Praça dos Três Poderes is one of Brasília’s main attractions and headquarters of the three powers of State: the Palácio do Planalto (Presidential Palace), the Supremo Tribunal Federal - STF (Supreme Court) and the Congresso Nacional (National Congress). The Três Poderes cultural center, subject to the local Cultural Secretary, manages the activities of the three cultural spaces of the plaza. They are: the Museu Histórico da Cidade (the city’s historical museum that contains historical records on the city’s construction), the Espaço Lucio Costa (with an enormous scale model of Brasília) andthe Panteão da Pátria (with art works honoring national heroes). At the Praça dos Três Poderes, you can also find monuments designed by renowned international artists such as Os Candangos, by Bruno Giorgi; A Justiça, by Alfredo Ceschiatti, located in front of the Supreme Court; O Pombal e a Pira da Pátria, by Niemeyer; and the Mastro da Bandeira, with the largest national flag in the world. https://www.visitbrasil.com/attractions/praca-dos-tres-poderes.html

The small town of Guatape is a colourful and tranquil pueblito (small town) perfect to enjoy a day trip (or two) from Medellin. Whilst the town is famous for the colourful designs on the facades of the houses it’s probably more recognisable in promotional material for the the large rock “El Penol” which you can climb to get an amazing view of the surrounding man-made lagoons. http://www.medellincolombia.co/medellin-sightseeing/visit-nearby-towns/

The Arts and Crafts Fair is one of the main tourist attractions of Embu das Artes, located 27 km from São Paulo. A small town with less than 300 thousand inhabitants that breathes culture, Embu das Artes has its name because it has received great artists, especially Brazilian modernists, such as Anita Malfatti, Oswald de Andrade and Tarsila do Amaral. Occurring since 1969, the Fair occupies the streets of the town’s historical center with artists who exhibit and sell various products, like porcelain, sculptures, paintings, baskets, lace, trinkets, musical instruments and decoration items. The Green Fair also takes place over there, offering plants and ornamental flowers. If you want to learn more about Brazilian history and art, you’ll be amazed by the museums, churches and memorials in town, such as the Jesuit Sacred Art Museum and the Saint Lazarus Chapel. Embu also has many bars and cozy cafes with live music for you to relax and enjoy after seeing the Fair. https://www.visitbrasil.com/attractions/embu-das-artes-fair.html

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo (Masp) was born in 1968, idealized by the journalist Assis Chateaubriand and directed by the marchand Pietro Maria Bardi. Masp was designed by the architect Lina Bo Bardi and erected to overlook São Paulo’s downtown area and the Serra da Cantareira. The building has a rectangular shape, suspended by four columns with a gap of 74m between them, open as a plaza and used by residents and tourists. Masp’s mission is to serve education, and the museum is very active in the cultural scene of the city, offering common spaces for its residents, like the library, mezzanine and auditorium. Masp also hosts educational projects. The main objective is for people to experience art. https://www.visitbrasil.com/attractions/museum-of-art-of-sao-paulo.html

The Afro Brasil Museum is a public institution under the Secretary of Culture of the State of São Paulo and administered by the Afro Brasil Museum Association - Social Organization of Culture. Located in Padre Manoel da Nóbrega Pavilion, within the most famous Park of São Paulo, Ibirapuera Park, the Museum preserves, in 11 thousand m2 a collection with more than 6 thousand works, including paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, documents and pieces. ethnological works by Brazilian and foreign authors, produced between the eighteenth century and today. The collection encompasses several aspects of the African and Afro-Brazilian cultural universes, addressing themes such as religion, work, art, slavery, among other themes in recording the historical trajectory and African influences in the construction of Brazilian society. http://www.museuafrobrasil.org.br/o-museu

Opened in 1954, during Sao Paulo's 400th anniversary, the Ibirapuera Park has a 1.6 million m² area and sports courts, bicycle racks and restaurants. The project was led by Oscar Niemeyer, the architect who created most of the buildings in Brasilia. It also involved several professionals, such as architects Ulhoa Cavalcanti and Zenon Lotufo, besides landscapers Burle Marx and Augusto Teixeira Mendes. The Ibirapuera has been elected "one of the 10 best urban parks in the world" by The Guardian, and it gathers athletes in the running lanes, soccer courts and open gym equipment. It also charms people looking for culture. The Museu de Arte Contemporânea (Contemporary Art Museum), the Museu de Arte Moderna (Modern Art Museum), the Museu Afro Brasil (Afro Brazil Museum), the Auditorio Ibirapuera (Ibirapuera Auditorium), the Pavilhão Japonês (Japanese Pavilion) and the Oca are all in the park. Take the time to also visit the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (Masp), which is only 6 km away. https://www.visitbrasil.com/attractions/ibirapuera-park.html

To appreciate the diversity of the portuguese language, to celebrate it as a paramount and founding element of our culture and to bring it closer to its speakers worldwide.The Museu da Língua Portuguesa was born aiming at this target. The inauguration took place on March the 20th , 2006. The chosen location to accommodate the Museum was the Estação da Luz, situated in the heart of São Paulo – city with the largest Portuguese-speaking population in the world – and a site of historical importance to the state capital and to Brazil. The station was one of the main crossing points for immigrants arriving in the country and, to this day, a dynamic place that provides contact and interaction among several cultures and social classes, sheltering accents from all parts of Brazil. During almost 10 years of its operation, the Museu da Língua Portuguesa welcomed 3.931.040 visitors, who have lived the experience of connecting themselves even more with the language, its origins, its history, its influences and the variations it takes within the population’s everyday life. http://museudalinguaportuguesa.org.br/en/

Beautiful visual arts museum specialized on brazilian artists of the last 200 years. Located on the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios de São Paulo building, the Pinacoteca was open in 1905 and is the oldest art museum in the city of São Paulo. Its art collection has approximately 1900 artistic, bibliographic and archival items. The art gallery displays works such as São Paulo by Tarsila do Amaral and Mestizo by Candido Portinari. In recent years, the museum received important exhibitions, such as Ron Mueck, seen by 402 thousand people. Listed as a historic site, the Parque da Luz and the museum’s garden displays about 50 sculptures of contemporary artists, such as Victor Brecheret Lasar Segall and Amílcar de Castro. http://visitbrasil.com/en/atracoes/metropolitan-cathedral.html

The Museum of Folklore of São José dos Campos is a cultural space of the Cultural Foundation Cassiano Ricardo (FCCR) that works under the management of the Center for Studies of Popular Culture (CECP), through an agreement signed between the parties. http://www.museudofolclore.org/museu/institucional/

Inside the Municipal Park in the City of Castro, the Modern Art Museum remains in the vanguard of contemporary artistic expression. Lying 1,200 kilometres away from the capital of Chile, on Chiloé Island, within the venue of the municipal park of the City of Castro, the Modern Art Museum is one of the main spreading centers of contemporary Chilean art. The idea arose in the late 1980s when a group of people resolved to look for a place to shelter the various Chilean modern artworks being produced which could not be displayed anywhere. They were destined to be thrown into oblivion until some months later, the support provided by certain celebrities made it possible to inaugurate the first National Contemporary Art Show of the Modern Art Museum on Chiloé Island, with works by eighty Chilean artists. This first exhibition and the second show presented by the MAM were assembled at Internado Campesino San Francisco, in the Gamboa Alto area, in the City of Castro. https://www.welcomechile.com/castro/modern-art-museum-chiloe.html