1550 Die Statt Cusco/so die fuernemeste im Landt Peru ist.

This splendid bird's-eye-view of Cusco is one of the earliest maps of European origin of the city to become available, during the Age of Discovery. Highly detailed, the map depicts the ancient city while there were yet architectural vestiges of its Incan empire builders, for whom it had been the primary seat of government. The map appears to be based on the work of Venetian cartographer Benedetto Bordone, whose map was published in several editions. The foundations of the ancient Incan temple of the sun, called Qoricancha by its builders, can be seen beneath a large Spanish-built church, indicating that the map was drawn following the Spanish conquest of the Incan nation. Before its near destruction during the conquest, Qoricancha had been one of the one of the most beautiful and most sacred of all temples of the Incan empire. Pizarro described its exterior as being studded with gold plates with the temple’s environs including convents and dormitories for priests. He went on to say tha