Metal Embossing Workshop by Carlos Bustos

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Nearby attractions

Places to visit within 30 km.

Modern Art Municipal Museum (MMAM)

The Municipal Museum of Modern Art (MMAM), has a prestigious and solid cultural background. It is located in the Historical Center of Cuenca (Ecuador), a UNESCO World Heritage city. The Museum temporarily exhibits modern art works by contemporary national and foreign artists. The rooms of the Museum are permanent headquarters of the International Art Biennial. Its reserve holds a large pictorial collection, which has been growing for 40 years. In addition, the Museum runs a program of activities and dissemination of art, dedicated to children, youth and older adults. The Museum was inaugurated on August 1, 1981. It was Hernán Crespo's initiative to recover the house from its destruction and restore it. The history of its use over the years is curious. Bishop Miguel León ordered its construction in the 19th century, as a refuge for alcoholics or "Casa de la Temperancia” (House of Temperance). It later served as a men's prison, nursing home, children's home, work school, and health center. The architecture of the building is old, with institutional purposes. Its doorway is in the neo-Gothic style. The interior is organized around an old chapel, in the center of the Museum. Around it there are several courtyards with portals. The chapel has a mural painting by Nicolás Vivar where a large painting with the parable of the prodigal son stands out. The First International Painting Biennial of Cuenca was inaugurated in 1987 in the Museum of Modern Art. It was conducted by Eudoxia Estrella, the first director of the MMAM. The Museum has an Art Reserve. It offers the service of workshops. The Information Office displays a collection of posters of the exhibitions held and the library specializes in art.

0.00 Km.

San Sebastian Craft Beer Brewery

The beer culture of Belgium has its sanctuary in Cuenca, Ecuador. A small establishment in the San Sebastian Park, is cozy and ideal for a refreshing beer or fast food: "Jodoco Belgian Bistro". The place is the result of a dream. The Ecuadorian-Belgian couple formed by Paola and Carlos arrived in Cuenca in 2012 and set up the tavern. They sell handcrafted beer made by the brand Derijcke Cerveceria following Belgian recipes. The name of the bistro and beer bar is a tribute to Fray Jodoco Ricke, a Franciscan religious of Flemish origin, founder of the Escuela Quiteña de arte. He built the Convent and Church of San Francisco, created the San Andrés School of Arts and Crafts and planted wheat for the first time in South America. He started the first brewery in Latin America. He arrived in Quito in December 1535. The traditional drink of Belgium is beer. Jodoco Bistro, located in a historical and pleasant environment, invites you to discover flavors and atmospheres from the other side of the Atlantic. Its tables are located overlooking the park and the church of San Sebastian. It is a bohemian place, with surprising culinary wonders: the cheese or meat tapas. San Sebastian Square is characterized by its tourist development with the Museum of Modern Art, the Larrazábal Gallery and service places such as restaurants and hotels. It also has a place in the history of Cuenca. In 1739 Jean Seniergues, a doctor from the French Geodesic Mission, was lynched there. In 1820, the patriots of Cuenca who rose up against Spanish rule on November 3rd retreated there. An artisan beer is brewed with its own recipe by a master brewer. That's why it has a different taste to the industrial one. Of limited production, it pays attention to flavors and textures. It does not contain artificial elements, the fermentation is natural and the flavors are the result of the mixture of water, malt, hops and yeast; fruits, spices and herbs can be added. Flavor combinations depend on consumer requirements. It offers quality, diversity and personal attention.

0.08 Km.

San Sebastian Church & Square

The church and square of San Sebastian constitute the western limit of the Historical Center of Cuenca (World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO). They are the main points of the historic neighborhood of the same name, in the urban parish of San Sebastian. The San Sebastian neighborhood is traditionally full of popular trades: pottery, tailoring, carpentry, tile-making, buttonhole making, painting. Tourism has a remarkable development with hotels, restaurants and cafeterias installed in heritage houses. The charm of its church, the park and an intense cultural life due to the presence of the Museum of Modern Art are the main attractions. There are craft workshops such as the embossing workshop of the master Carlos Bustos, several craft shops and bakeries. Recently, in a corner of the park, there is a restaurant owned by a Cuenca-Belgian couple that offers beer produced in the town. Every year, on December 24th, the "Pase del Nino Viajero" (The Traveler Baby Jesus), a traditional parade celebrating the birth of Jesus, starts from San Sebastian. The church, on the outside, has a single tower that dominates the facade. This is an unusual feature in religious architecture. Its main door is made of carved wood, with reliefs of the Bible's testaments. A large dome also stands out in the structure of the church. The interior of the Catholic temple is divided into three naves, separated by wooden columns. The space is quite sober, without as much detail or decoration as in other similar buildings in the city of Cuenca. On the corner of a small square in front of the temple's facade, at the intersection of Calle Bolívar and Calle Coronel Tálbot, stands the Cross of San Sebastián. Formerly this cross was the mark of the end of the city and the departure point towards the west. There are news of the church and its corresponding sector since the first years of Cuenca's foundation. It was a hermitage or small church of Fabián and Sebastián, saints and martyrs. As the centuries passed, the name of Fabián was abandoned, leaving San Sebastián as a traditional "Indian parish". Racial and social separation established by the Spanish colonizers to name a place that concentrated humble but necessary trades for daily life. The San Sebastian park is located next to the church. It has an ornamental pool and an interesting variety of trees and plants. The park is ideal for short walks, to rest and breathe fresh air. In its centre is the bust of the poet Miguel Moreno. In front of the park, on the opposite side of the church, is the Museum of Modern Art. Two historical events took place in San Sebastian Park. The first was the murder of the doctor Juan Seniergues, a member of the French Geodesic Mission (a scientific mission to measure Earth’s circumference), in 1739, during a bullfight. The second event are the first football matches in Cuenca, which were played there at the beginning of the 20th century. The geometric layout of the square, which has Renaissance influence with parterre gardens in the Versailles style, is attributed to Octavio Cordero Palacios.

0.12 Km.

El Vado Traditional Neighborhood

The inhabitants of this traditional neighborhood in Cuenca consider the place as a cultural relic, because it preserves many characteristics of the city of the past and is a source of inspiration for craftsmen and artists, due to the presence of the Tomebamba River Ravine, the typical climb and the Cross. The culture and memory of Cuenca are still alive in El Vado, aspects that can only be experienced when walking along its paths and entering its houses, to share with the people. The neighborhood is full of characters. El Vado is so named because it was and still is one of the most important access points to the Historic Center of Cuenca from the south, crossing the unpredictable Tomebamba River. The buildings in the sector preserve colonial and republican styles, which are complemented by its cobblestone streets. The "Casa de la Lira", birthplace of the musician José María Rodríguez, is famous. The main street is called La Condamine in homage to one of the scientists of the French Geodesic Mission of the 18th century. The hanging houses of the Ravine are also admired. The history of the site goes back to the first years of the Spanish colonization, when the conquerors were looking for a visible place to place the christian cross. The main activities that take place in El Vado are crafts and art. Among the craftsmen, there are master luthiers or instrument makers, tinsmiths, forge workers, saddlers, hairdressers, barbers, embroiderers, pyrotechnic, hat makers or bakers. An intense artistic activity revolves around the El Prohibido Cultural Center, which contains a museum of extreme art, a meeting place for cultural managers and actors of the city or for the activity of bohemian groups. Within the framework of the local culture, El Vado’s festivals are renowned and mentioned in poems and popular songs, such as "Por eso te quiero Cuenca" to the rhythm of "capizhca", as well as its athletic competitions in the month of May.

0.33 Km.

Coffee Tasting at Tierra Diabla

Tierra Diabla. Exciting name for a small coffee shop in El Vado. It is part of the cultural scene in the neighborhood. The atmosphere around it is very special. A few meters from La Cruz, in front of the square and viewpoint. The landscapes and sunsets are unforgettable. You can enjoy them while having a cup of coffee and a dessert. The menu of Tierra Diabla is intimately linked to the Ecuadorian coffee culture. To the tradition of making coffee in the style of the grandmother. Rich and bitter house coffee. It is the connection with memories and emotions. The main ingredient is fresh Arabica coffee beans from the highlands, grown in Santa Isabel, in the south of the province of Azuay. Roasted and ground. The cafecito is also a center of culture, art gallery, design and applied art store. With its tables extended towards the plaza, there is space to listen to good music. The International Coffee Day is celebrated here every October 1st. In November it serves purple colada and bread guaguas. To accompany the coffee, nothing better than a 100% cocoa brownie. That's not all. Nonna" Diabla's suggestions include carrot and pineapple pies, cookies from her own recipe book, eggplants and baked tomatoes with cheese. Sicilian bread, fogaccio, sandwiches, doughnuts, lemonade or Mama Huma... the perfect place to clear your mind, clear your head, wake up your taste buds with something out of the ordinary. It offers the service of selling coffee in bulk, by the pound. Ana Benavides is the barista, guide of Tierra Diabla, a professional in high quality Ecuadorian coffee. She creates new and different drinks based on it, using milk, essences and liquors. She knows the art of latte or coffee with milk, with designs on its surface. Cuenca is no exception within the world-wide current of specialty coffee. Local baristas like Ana, with their talent and the use of the national product, have become the alternative to international chains. Tierra Diabla puts its share of effort into positioning national coffee. Ecuador cultivates 2 species of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. The crops are grown throughout the territory, even in Galapagos. There are coffee plantations in 20 of the 24 provinces of the country.

0.34 Km.

El Prohibido Cultural Center

The Forbidden Cultural Center leaves no one indifferent. It breaks schemes, it cannot be pigeonholed. Located in La Condamine Street, up from El Vado. Since 1996 the place is a reference of the cultural activity in the city of Cuenca. The Moscoso-Íñiguez family is the manager. Martha and Eduardo, with the support of their children, turned their home into an unusual, mysterious and at the same time attractive space. All the alternative cultural manifestations have a space here, from the diverse artistic genres like music, theater, painting, sculpture, cinema, video art, among others. It develops a special agenda for presentations of contemporary rock bands, showing on stage mainly new groups. Dozens of new artists, for example in theatre, have made their debut there. The Museum of Extreme Art of El Prohibido exhibits the artistic creations of Eduardo Moscoso, who makes incursions into the erotic, vitalist, thanatological, exotic, anti-religious and narcissistic styles of the neo-gothic movement and the neo-baroque movement. This is definitely a space in which, with each visit, the observer finds new and surprising details. It is an excellent place to have a cold or hot drink, to taste a good coffee or to have a snack. It has a room for artistic presentations of all genres. After a quarter of a century of opening its doors, El Prohibido continues to give space to the artistic development of the urban cultures of Cuenca and the new generations of local and national artists. It has also been an important actor in the cultural and social development of El Vado. It manages and carries out various open-air activities, promoting the use of public space in the neighbourhood and the city, with the organisation of craftsmen, artists and entrepreneurs.

0.40 Km.