Cajamarca (city)
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Aerial view of Cajamarca, with Santa Appollonia hill in foreground |
Cajamarca is located in the northern highlands of
Peru, and is the capital of the
Cajamarca region. It is approximately 2,700 m (8,900 ft) above sea level and has a population of about 135,000 people. Cajamarca has an equatorial climate so it is mild, dry and sunny, which creates very fertile soil. The city is well-known for its fine cheeses and dairy products. Cajamarca is also known for its churches, and hot springs, or Inca Baths. There are also several active mining sites in surrounding areas. Most of all,
Peruvians remember Cajamarca as the place where the
Inca Empire came to an end, since the
Battle of Cajamarca along with the capture and execution of Inca emperor
Atahualpa took place here.
It is served by the
My. Gral. FAP. Armando Revoredo Iglesias Airport.
The origin of the city goes back over 3,000 years. Traces of pre-
Chavín cultures can be seen in surrounding archaeological sites such as
Cumbe Mayo and
Kuntur Wasi. During the period between 1463 and 1471,
Tupac Inca conquered the area and brought Cajamarca into the
Tawantinsuyu, or
Inca empire, which at the time was still being ruled by Tupac's father Pachacuti.
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Street in Cajamarca |
Cajamarca's place in history is secured by the tragedy of 1532.
Atahualpa had beaten his brother in a battle for the
Inca throne in Quito. On his way back to
Cusco to claim the throne with his army of 80,000 soldiers, he ran into a small band of about a 170 explorers (
conquistadors) from a distant land. These explorers invited Atahualpa to a peace ceremony in his honor in Cajamarca's
Plaza de Armas. For this the
explorers sent a Friar,
Vicente de Valverde, to convince Athualpa to adopt the
Christian faith. Atahualpa merely observed a Christian bible handed to him and quickly threw it on the floor as a sign of indifference. The events that unfolded after this incident would only culminate in bringing about the end of the
Inca Empire, as the Spanish
conquistadors led by
Francisco Pizarro invaded the Main Plaza of Cajamarca in the
Battle of Cajamarca and soon captured Atahualpa and most of his army.
Once the Spanish had
Atahualpa, they held him captive in Cajamarca's main temple. They were able to convince Atahualpa's generals not to attack by threatening to kill their king if they did. But the Conquistadors were also trapped, with only a small force. Atahualpa believed he understood these men, he thought all they were interested in were some valuables to bring back to their own king. So he offered to fill an 88 m
3 room with gold and twice over with silver, within two months. The Spanish were staggered by this offer. This room is now known as
El Cuarto del Rescate, or "
The Ransom Room". Tourists to Cajamarca can see a room by this name in Cajamarca, but most likely the room is Atahualpa's cell, not his ransom room. In the end Atahualpla had misjudged the Conquistadors; after they had the ransom they murdered him.
- Conquest of the Incas. John Hemming, 1973.
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Spanish conquest of Peru*
History of Peru*
Inca Empire*
Cusco*
Lima*
Arequipa*
Tacna*
Puno*
YanacochaLos de Cajamarca James LockhartCajamarca: historia y paisaje Fernando Silva Santisteban
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Cajamarca map
