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Location

The sanctuary of the Lord of Huanca is located at 48km from the Cusco city at 3,100 meters meters above sea level in the district of San Salvador, providence of Calca in the department of Cusco.

Date

The festivity is celebrated the 14 of September, is characterized for the amount of people that come to see this.

Every year, on September 14, thousands of devotees from Cusco, Peru and even from places such as Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile, go to the Santuary of Huanca to receive the blessing of the Lord. From Cusco, it takes about 4-6 hours of walking to get to “el Señor de Huanca”.

Huanca is a beautiful place situated at the bottom of the mountain Pachatusan (the one that holds the world) almost to the border of the Vilcanota River.

It has been written many histories about God chose Huanca as its home to live between us:

First history

When the Spaniards arrive to Cusco, they made the Incas work in hard labor, but the Incas were able to keep there dignity even though they were being conquer.

Diego, an Indian that was punish by the Spaniards decided to escape to Huanca and he pray all day so they wouldn’t find him, only through the power of God, Diego wasn’t found, finally night came and suddenly a light blinded him, it was Jesus Christ bleeding from the wound he had. Diego was astonished by the lords present that he couldn’t move. Almost beside oneself. Adoring his God.

Diego decided to send a painter to Huanca. One of the best painters from the school of art from Cusco was chosen for the privilege in making the painting. Diego Quispe toll the painter exactly what he saw, the painter made the impression of Christ in the rock, while he made the painting, it seem that a divine hand would be working through him.

Second History

The wealthy miner Don Pedro Valero was very sick and many doctors had tried to diagnose his sickness whit out success. In all of this, a foreigner doctor came to the city, he was very well-known, and they got in touch with the doctor for him to see the sick miner.

The mysterious foreigner came to his call, according to the legend Don Pedro was put in a treatment of waters during five days. After the treatment Don Pedro was cured of is sickness and started to give the doctor all his possession but the doctor said. “If you want to do something for me, visit me in my house” Don Pedro went to Huanca went inside the temple, and found out the image of his savior in a rock.