Arc of Santa Clara, Cusco, Peru......by K J S Chatrath
Arc of Santa Clara, Cusco, Peru. Its construction took place in 1835 and was ordered by General Andrés de Santa Cruz in commemoration of the beginning of the establishment of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation . Since 1972 the arch is part of the Monumental Zone of Cusco declared as a Historical Monument of Peru. Also, in 1983, being part of the historic center of the city of Cusco, it is part of the central zone declared by UNESCO as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity and in 2014, being part of the road network of Tawantinsuyo , it was again declared a World Heritage Site. The arch consists of a body with three openings that constitute semi circular arches framed by columns of Ionic order . The top of the arch shows on the lintel a Peruvian shield and has as a top two condors and a statue representing freedom with a Phrygian cap on the right arm. These sculptures were made by the Cusco artist Ernesto Olazo Allende. Photos taken by me in 2010