Vitcos

= Vitcos  =

The ruins of Vitcos are well known for being an archaeological site. The ruins are located near the ruins of Vilcabamba, the last capital of the Incas. Manco Cápac II, the ruler of Vilcabamba, ordered the construction of Vitcos. He built it so that he and his court would have shelter in a place where the weather conditions were similar to what he was used to in Spain after they left Vilcabamba. The reason they left Vilcabamba was because of the brutal weather conditions. The ruins of Vitcos were discovered by Hiram Bingham III in 1911 while he was searching for Machu Picchu.

The Vitcos is the site of where Manco Cápac II was murdered. He was murdered by a group of conquistadors who were attempting to win back favor from the Spanish ruler. Their plan was flawed though because in attacking Manco Cápac II’s palace, they left themselves very little chance of escaping. Then then royal guard went after them and executed them.

The ruins of Vitcos were reconstructed, but they are only partially rebuilt. This means that they are not in the exact spot and original shape. Nowadays it is a simple site with only a couple buildings with a few walls intact. Despite this, the ruins vividly show what the city looked like before it was destroyed.

By: April Lanka