On the northwest side of the plaza stood the Casana, the town palace of
Huayna Capac and one of the few constructions reliably linked to a ruler. It too
boasted a large hall with an open front, apparently so large that the chronicler
Garcilaso de la Vega claimed it could hold 3,000 people. Sancho, Pizarro’s
scribe, called it Cuzco’s “best,” and it is no coincidence that the conquistador
Francisco Pizarro chose it for himself when house lots began to be awarded. Two
round, masonry towers roofed with thatch flanked the compound’s entrance,
which was painted red and white. A late sixteenth–early seventeenth century
description of what may have been Huayna Capac’s town palace notes it was
divided into two parts, with elaborate doors or gateways providing access into
each sector, both of which contained spacious courtyards. In the innermost sector
were the “salons and rooms” of the Inca, “full of delights . . . planted with
gardens and trees . . . and the royal lodgings were spacious and built with
marvelous artistry” (Murúa 2001 [ca. 1590–1598]).
Further Reading
Bauer, Brian S. Ancient Cuzco: Heartland of the Inca. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2004.
Farrington, Ian S. Cusco: Urbanism and Archaeology in the Inka World. Gainesville: University Press of
Florida, 2013.
Hyslop, John. Inka Settlement Planning. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1990.
Sancho de la Hoz, Pedro. “Relación.” In Colección de Libros y Documentos referentes a la Historia del
Perú, edited by Horacio H. Urteaga, vol. 5, 122–202. Lima: Sanmartí, 1917 [1532–1533].
■ADRIANA VON HAGEN