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Located in a valley on the western slopes of Pichincha, an active volcano in the Andes mountains, its elevation of around 2850 meters (9300 feet) above sea level makes it one of the world's highest capital cities. Its population, according to the most recent census ( 2001), was 1,399,378.
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On December 6, 1534, the city was founded by Sebastián de Benalcázar.
On May 24, 1822, a troop led by Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spanish resistance in the Battle of Pichincha securing the independence of Quito.
On February 12, 1949, a realistic broadcast of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds panicked most of the residents. A mob set fire to the radio station and the offices of El Comercio, the capital's leading newspaper, killing twenty people. The property damage was estimated at $350,000. Three officials charged with responsibility for the broadcast were arrested.
The Panecillo, a hill about halfway down the Quito valley, serves as a sort of a high pedestal for an enormous statue of a MadonnaMadonna is a medieval Italian term for a noble or otherwise important woman. In modern usage, only the nobility usage survived; the word has also been adopted by the English language. The term "madonna" is widely used in art, especially by Renaissance pai, standing on top of a globe and stepping on a snake, which of course is classic madonna iconography. What is not so traditional is that she has wings. The people of Quito proudly claim that she is the only one in the world with wings like an angel. The monument, which has dubious aesthetic value and was built in concrete during the early 1970s, was inspired on the famous "Virgen de Quito" (Quito's Madonna) also knows as "the dancer" sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, which now decorates the main altar at the Church of St. Francis. This madonna represents a turning point of the Quito School of Art (one of the most renowned of the Americas) because it shows a virgin with great movemnt that is practically dancing as a contrast with the traditional static madonnas that were produced during the 18th century.
Driving up to the Panecillo affords a wonderful view of downtown Quito.
This museum is an excellent showcase of Ecuadorian art and culture. On the ground floor it has a marvellous and extensive collection of pre-colonial (including pre-Incaic) potteries, sculptures, gold, lithics, and even a mummified body. There are also some beautiful miniature reconstructions that help evoke the way various parts of Ecuador must have looked like, from the Pambamarca fort to the Cochasqui temple complex. The highlight of this collection is a golden sun mask of the La Tolita culture. The second floor is dedicated to Colonial art; several paintings and sculptures with religious themes are in exhibition. The third floor is devoted to contemporary Ecuadorian art.
NB Tourists are advised not to walk up to the Panecillo, as the area is notorious for street crime and muggings. Take a taxi instead.
The "centro histórico", historical center, as it is called, was appointed, along with Prague, as the first UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site in 1979 and has many appealing plazas (the Independence Plaza being the most important) and manierist and baroque churches, including the Cathedral, the convent and church of St. Francis, which is the largest building of the Colonial era built by the Spaniards in South America, the church of El Sagrario, convent and church of Santo Domingo and the church of the Society of JesusThe Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu , commonly known as the Jesuits is a Roman Catholic religious order. It was founded in 1534 by a group of University of Paris graduate students led by Inigo Lopez de Loyola (Ignatius of Loyola). Foundation On Au, or "La Compañía" which was built after the model of "Il Gessu" church in Rome. There are also several museums, many of them dedicated to Colonial art and history; some of the most renowned are the City Museum ("Museo de la Ciudad"), the Metropolitan Cultural Center and the museum of the Convent of St. Francis. Markets are scattered throughout the area.
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