San Francisco church

The San Francisco Church in Quito is in the historical center. It dates back to the 16th century and was built over indigenous religious sites. It is beautiful as it is a mix of Spanish Baroque and indigenous influences. The carvings and details are ornate and intricate. The church is still used for religious services but is also a living museum with art work depicting religion and the cultural heritage of Quito.

My friend Kathryn and her boyfriend Leo found the tour and bought the tickets. I was excited to go on a night tour of this amazing church.

View from the front of the church facing the old historical center
From the top tower
Virgin of the panacillo
Looking at the center square inside the church
Models on display depicting the life of Jesus from birth to the cross. This is just one model
The monastery had a brewery and brought beer to Quito

We also visited another church in the historic old city. On that street there are 7 churches.

Afterwards we walked around la ronda, a famous old street in the historic center. It was built over the old incan trail and is still like it was designed then.

A few weeks later, Ryan came to visit and Leo offered to all go together to find some food and your the old city. We saw the chapel of the church plus a few other places.

We tried morocho from street vendors in Floresta which is made with corn flour. It tasted a little like rice pudding and was delicious.
From the restaurant in la ronda where we ate the biggest empanada ever. It was the size of a large pizza.
We went to El panacillo. It means little bread as the hill is shaped like a loaf of bread.
How houses were built in the past with a courtyard on the inside which is now covered.