Historical and descriptive narrative of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 2 of 3) / Containing travels in Arauco, Chile, Peru, and Colombia; with an account of the revolution, its rise, progress, and results

by active 1803-1825 William Bennet Stevenson

Quito was founded in the year 1534 by Sebastian Benalcasar, with the dedicatory title of San Francisco; and in 1541 was created a city by the Emperor Carlos V. It stands in a ravine; the mountain Pichincha being on the west side, and a range of hills called Chimbacalle on the east; to the south is the plain of Turupampa or Turubamba, between which and the city is the small mountain el Panecillo, and to the north the plain of Añaquito, generally named the Egido. The streets, which run north and south, are on a pretty level plain, but those which cross them rise towards the skirts of Pichincha, and descend on the east side of the city towards the small river of Machangara, which flows between the town and the hills of Chimbacalle.

Near the centre of the city is the plasa mayor, or principal square, besides which are those of San Francisco, Santo Domingo, and the Butchery, Carniceria. On the west side of the plasa mayor is the palace of the President, a gloomy looking building, having an upper story; it stands on an elevation of nine feet above the plasa, having a terrace or area, with a stone wall in front, and two flights of steps to ascend it. The palace contains the halls belonging to the royal audience, the treasury, and the gaol, together with the apartments occupied by the President, the offices of the secretaries, and the archives. On the east side, opposite to the palace, is the corporation house in the centre, having a very neat stone front, with private houses on each side; it also has upper stories with balconies. On the north side of the square is the Bishop's palace, with a stone arched entrance, and some private houses, under the balconies of which is a capacious piazza. On the opposite side appears the cathedral, a very plain building, with a steeple at one corner; indeed, this edifice is mean, compared to other temples in the city, and contains nothing worthy of particular attention except some paintings, executed by natives of the city, and an effigy of Saint Peter, the workmanship of Caspicara, an indian of this place. In the centre of the square there is a handsome brass fountain.

Quito contains six parish churches: el Sagrario, belonging to the cathedral, Santa Barbara, San Blas, San Sebastian, San Roque, San Marcos, and Santa Prisca. Of these the Sagrario is a handsome stone edifice, containing some good sculpture and paintings, executed by natives. Here are also two convents of Dominican Friars, three of Franciscan, two of Agustinian, and two Mercedarian; the college of the ex-Jesuits, two nunneries of Carmelites, one of la Concepcion, one of Santa Clara, and one of Santa Catalina, besides a house of recluse females, called el Beaterio. There is an hospital under the care of the Bethlemite Friars, and part of the Jesuits' college has been given to those of the order of San Camilo. Each of these religious houses has a church, and some of them one or more chapels attached to them; besides which there are other public chapels, for most of the nobility have private ones, oratorios, in their houses, and there are others belonging to the colleges, the gaols, the penitentiary, the hospicio, and other public places.

Among the conventual buildings worthy of notice is the ex-Jesuits' college. The front of the church is of stone, of most exquisite workmanship; the Corinthian pillars on each side the central door are entwined with wreaths of roses and lilies, so delicately executed, that a person can introduce his hand between the wreath and the pillar; and in many places pass it along the semi-circumference of the pillar before the wreath comes in contact with it; these six pillars are thirteen feet high, and each one is cut out of a single block of white freestone, of which material the whole of the front is built. In two small niches are placed the busts of St. Peter and St. Paul; underneath that of Peter are the emblems of what he was before he became an Apostle; a small bark and a net, the meshes and folds of which are detached from the principal stone, on which several fishes are cut, one of which is quite detached both from the net and the stone, is loose, and may be moved by introducing a finger between the meshes of the net. Above the bust in alto relievo there is a chair, mitre, crosier, and two keys. On the opposite side, under the bust of Paul, in alto relievo, there is a wolf, which having torn the skin from a lamb, except from the head, stands with his fore feet on the mangled body, and holds one part of the skin in his mouth, his head being raised and his ears pricked up, as if in the attitude of listening; the whole of this emblematic representation is most delicately touched, and evinces the chisel of a master. Above the bust is a vase, standing on several books. The front also contains in niches a statue of the Virgin Mary, and four of St. Ignacio Loyola, the founder of the order; St. Francisco de Borja, St. Juan Francisco Regis, and St. Francisco Xavier, the Apostle of the Indies; also two busts, one of St. Luis Gonzaga, the other of St. Stanislaus Kotska, all of whom belonged to the order. The whole of this beautifully delicate piece of architecture was executed by indians, under the direction of Father Sanches, a native of Quito; a work which will become more estimable as it becomes more known to the lovers of the fine arts.

The interior of the church is from a model of that of Jesus, at Rome; it has a grave solemn appearance; the pillars are square, supporting an unornamented groined roof, having a small cupola in the centre. The interior of this temple was richly ornamented before the expulsion of the order, but it has been despoiled of its most costly contents; among these was a custodium, which is at present in the royal chapel of the Escurial. One side of it was composed of diamonds set in highly polished silver, the other of emeralds set in gold; although the whole only measured two feet eight inches in height, it was valued at eight hundred and seventy thousand dollars; on the bottom was MS. London, 1721. Of this jewel there is a drawing and description in the sacristy of the church.

One of the entrances to the college is through a beautiful stone doorway of most exquisite workmanship, of the Doric order. The library contains upwards of twenty thousand volumes, among which are many very ancient works. The books are placed in different compartments, having emblematic designs over them, indicative of the science on which they treat; the whole appearance is that of an amphitheatre, the books being placed so as to form three ranges or stories. There is a gallery along the top of the first and second, with a balustrade in front of each, and on the tops of these there are desks to lay the books on, for the convenience of reading, and inkstands for the purpose of making any extracts. One great peculiarity respecting the room is, that although rats and mice abound in every other part of the building, they have not entered this; probably on account of some ingredient put into the mortar with which it is plastered. In the refectory there is a good painting of the Marriage at Canaan, but nearly all the most valuable pictures have been taken away; a list of them only being left in the library. All the walls of the building are of brick, of a very good quality; the door and window frames are of freestone, as well as all the pillars and arches in the cloisters.

Part of this building has been given, with the church, to the Agonisante Friars; part was converted into halls for the University, and the remainder into barracks for the soldiers. In these premises the first martyrs to South American Emancipation were sacrificed, on the 2d of August, 1811.

The convent of San Francisco is the largest I ever saw; the outer walls are of brick, but all the cloisters are of stone; it stands at the foot of the mountain Pichincha, and partly on some arches which cross a chasm in the rock. One of the cloisters has a range of cells cut in the rock, the roofs of which are level with the ground. The front of the church stands on a terrace, twelve feet above the level of the plasa, from which an elegant flight of stone steps leads to the door of the church; the lower half of this flight having a projecting circular front, and the upper being the reverse, in the middle is formed a large circular area or landing place. The terrace is paved with flat stones of different shapes and figures, but they are placed with such exquisite art, that the interstices between them are scarcely perceptible. The façade of the church is of the Tuscan order; it is massy yet neat, and is crowned with two handsome tower steeples. The interior of the church is very magnificent; the body is in the figure of a cross, and over the intersection is a handsome round tower or cupola. The high altar is richly ornamented, and the presbitery being elevated five feet above the floor of the church has a magnificent appearance; all religious duties are performed here with the greatest solemnity. The choir above the principal entrance is supported by an elliptical arch, which crosses the central aisle of the church, besides two groined arches, which cross the two laterel aisles. The roof is supported by a double row of slender circular pillars, and is of beautiful panel work. In the choir considerable labour has been bestowed in carving the stalls and the reading desk. Here are two good organs, the one Italian, the other built in Quito, by a native. In the church and sacristy are many beautiful paintings and pieces of sculpture, by native artists, particularly an effigy of San Francisco, painted by Miguel de Santiago; a Saint John, and a Magdalen, by the same, and a full-length Ecce Homo, by Samaniego.

Adjoining the church are two chapels that open on the terrace, the one is dedicated to San Buenaventura, the other was built at the expence of an indian called Cantuña, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Dolores; in this there is an image of the Virgin Mary, most exquisitely finished; the name of the sculptor is unknown, but it is believed to have been Caspicara, an indian of Quito.

Although the churches and convents of Santo Domingo, San Augustin, and la Merced, are elegantly built of stone and brickwork, and contain many things worthy of notice, I shall not enter into a minute description of them. The reclusion convent of San Diego, belonging to the Franciscans, is with regard to its situation (being in a ravine in the suburbs of the city) nearly hidden among the trees and rocks, and most romantically retired; the strictest attention was paid to its building, and it resembles in every point a sequestered hermitage, which renders it worthy the notice of a stranger. It is perhaps the most perfect house for religious retirement and contemplation in the new world. The surrounding scenery of mountains traversing above the clouds; the pleasing verdure of their skirts, while everlasting snows crown their hoary heads; a meandering stream seen first to burst from the breast of its rocky parent, and then to glide down the ravine in search of its level, now and then interrupted in its course by abrupt turnings, clusters of trees, or heaps of stones; it seems to say, man, thy course is like mine, obstacles may intervene, and may appear for a while to retard thy pilgrimage to the grave; but thy stay on earth is short, thy life like my current, on the acclivity of this mountain, is continually rushing towards the last goal.