Archaeological Site
“Cotopaxi's shape is the most beautiful and regular of all the colossal peaks in the high Andes. It is a perfect cone covered by a thick blanket of snow which shines so brilliantly at sunset it seems detached from the azure of the sky.” Alexander von Humboldt, 1820
One and a quarter hours from Quito, capital of Ecuador, stands the beautiful and little known colonial Hacienda of San Agustín de Callo. Built on the site of an Inca palace, one of the two most important archaeological Inca sites in Ecuador, and the point furthest north from Cuzco of Imperial style construction, this working farm offers an unrivalled glimpse into Ecuador's rich and colourful past. Since the 15th century San Agustin de Callo has served as Inca fortress, Augustinian convent and temporary home for the French Geodesic Mission whose scientific results helped to determine the true shape of the planet. Famous visitors include Jorge Juan and Antonio de Ulloa who were appointed by the King of Spain to host the Geodesic Mission in 1736, the awesome scientific enterprise organized and led by Charles-Marie de la Condamine; Alexander von Humboldt German scientist and renowned naturalist and explorer and the illustrious English mountain climber Edward Whymper.
The varied and influential inhabitants of San Agustín de Callo have contributed to the unique blend of architecture which creates the individual character of the house. In the main courtyard it is possible to see three distinct styles, Inca (Imperial style – 15th century, construction style which the Incas used for their temples and palaces), Spanish Colonial (18th century) and Republican (19th century). The Hacienda has been written about by the famous chronicler Cieza de León (1536). This Inca Palace or temple was built by Tupac-Yupanqui (Inca Emperor) or Huayna-Capac in the 15th century. San Agustin de Callo constitutes the only lived in museum of Inca Imperial and Spanish Colonial style.
By far the most impressive sights are the perfectly carved volcanic stone walls of two of the Inca rooms which have survived the centuries and now serve as chapel and dining room.
Surrounded by the smoke-blackened walls of the dining room, one can marvel at the infinite precision of the stonemasonry, a monument to the unrivalled craftsmanship of the Incas, and admire the stunning view of Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. This magical spectacle was extolled by Alexander von Humboldt who visited the Inca site in 1802 and included his observations in his work "Vue de Cordillères et Monuments des Peuples Indigènes de L´ Amèrique" Paris 1810; and immortalized by the famous painter, Frederic Church (Hudson River School) in 1859. This unique experience provides guests with a perfect setting to savour the Hacienda's excellent Ecuadorian cuisine and enjoy its warm hospitality.
In 1921 the Hacienda was purchased by General Leonidas Plaza Gutierrez, leader of the liberal Revolution. Plaza went on to become President of Ecuador in 1901 and again in 1912, a position which was to be held by his son Galo Plaza in 1948. The Hacienda has remained in the family to this day and is currently owned by the General's granddaughter, Mignon Plaza, whose father, the distinguished congressman and legendary amateur bullfighter, Jose María Plaza, played a pivotal role in politics throughout his life.
This temple or palace was built around 1440 A.D. by one of the last Inca emperors, Huayna-Cápac, and to this day the remaining rooms prevail as a magnificent sample of the unique style of Inca construction. The site is currently being investigated by Dr. David Brown of the University of Texas, the funding of which was provided by the National Geographic Society. Previously unknown portions of Inca walls and foundations have been discovered throughout the restoration process of the house.
HISTORIC ACCOUNT OF THE VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA MADE ON BEHALF OF HIS MAJESTY TO MEASURE MERIDIANS Year 1748
by Don Jorge Juan and Don Antonio de Ulloa
"Stone is the only material used in the building and it is so hard it resembles flint; its color is almost black. The stones are so well carved and coupled that one cannot even insert the blade of a knife. nor can the crevices be compared to the thinnest piece of paper. It almost seems as if the fissures are there to warn the observer that the walls are truly made up of different stones and not of one whole block. There is no mortar that one can see holding the stones together, and on the outside they are carved convexly. At the doorways, the front of the stones are smooth, but the unevenness of the course is easily detectable, as well the asymmetry of the stones themselves, which makes the work even more unique. Following a small stone there is another large one, which seemingly lopsided, over which a tot stone was apparently fitted into the ridges of the other two. But so much jaggedness has been put together with such perfection that wherever one looks, there is unity, precision and meticulousness."
HOUSE OF THE INCA AT CALLO, KINGDOM OF QUITO
Alexander von Humboldt
"When Tupac-Yupanquí and Huayna-Capac, father of the ill-fated Atahualpa concluded the Conquest of the Kingdom of Quito, they not only made magnificent roads in the highlands of the Andes, but also buildings known as tambos. The purpose of these buildings, created at intervals, was to make communications easier between the capital city and the northern-most provinces of the Empire. Inside, the accommodations were such that a prince and his entourage could find abode. These houses of the Inca, known as palaces by other travelers, had been erected several centuries ago along the great thoroughfare joining Cuzco and Cajamarca. The last Conquistadores of Manco Capac lineage only built the buildings whose ruins are now visible from the province of Cajamarca, the southern boundary of the Kingdom of Quito, to the mountains of Los Pastos. Among them, one of the most famous and better preserved is the one in Callo or Caio, described, rather imperfectly, by Jorge Juan, Ulloa and La Condamine in their work Viajes al Perú. The drawing, with which Ulloa pretends to illustrate the layout of the House of the Inca, is so inaccurate that it almost seems purely imaginary."
HOUSE OF THE INCA AT CALLO, KINGDOM OF QUITO
Alexander von Humboldt
"During the trip Bonpland and I made to Cotopaxi, in 1802, we visited the ruins of Peruvian architecture. I myself made a drawing of the House and upon our return to Quito, showed it together with a print from Ulloa´s travels to several Augustinian friars. No one knew the ruins of Caio better than they, as these ruins are located on the same plot of land as their convent. The friars had also lived in a country house close to the side and assured me that since 1750 and even earlier, they had seen the House undergo no changes."
GEODESIC MISSION AND OTHER VISITORS
Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish scientist and member of this expedition, made a singular drawing of the architectural Inca complex in San Agustin de Callo and with fellow scientist, Jorge Juan, wrote a descriptive document of what they observed at the ruins. While the Geodesic Mission was at work triangulating they witnessed two eruptions of the Cotopaxi in 1743 and 1744.
Because of its beauty and historical importance, the Inca Trail, Qhápac Ñan, has been proposed to UNESCO as a World Heritage Site by the six countries through which this trail runs its full length (Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile).
ACCOUNT OF THE VOYAGE
by Don Jorge Juan and Don Antonio de Ulloa
1053 "On the latter part of the plain - known as Callo- which runs from Latacunga toward the North, there stand the walls of one of the Palaces inhabited by the Inca Emperors, Kings of Quito. Its name has remained until today. Presently, the Palace is used as country dwellings for the Hacienda of the Fathers of San Agustín de Quito. The beauty and spaciousness of the building cannot be compared to ancient Egyptian and Román constructions, or to those of other Nations. However, in view of the limited knowledge the Indians had of Sciences and Arts; and considering the way their other dwellings are constructed, one can easily detect the Majesty of its Owner by the Palace’s size, materials and arrangement The entrance to the Palace is made through a lane measuring 10.5 to 12.5 meters in length the lane is used as a passageway to a patio surrounded by three large galleries, forming a square and giving way to the other three facades."
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