Museo Catedral Vieja
Museo Catedral Vieja
4.5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric SitesReligious Sites
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
About
Situated on top of some ancient Inca ruins, this cathedral was built in 1557 when modern Cuenca was founded.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles445 reviews
Excellent
247
Very good
161
Average
31
Poor
3
Terrible
3

Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands5,815 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Symbol of Spanish power in 16th century Cuenca, initially the church was accessible to Spanish only. The victors used stone from the Pumapungo palace as construction material demonstrating who was boss now.

At the time it must have looked like an impressive building, but one can imagine why in the 1880s it was decided to build a new cathedral on the other side of the square, as the old structure looks rather small. The interior of the cathedral (now a museum) looks early 1900s and sometimes you get the impression you are in a Belle Epoque opera house.

It is possible to visit a crypt and ossuary underneath the west section of the cathedral. The remnants of those who could afford to be buried here are not show.

Admission fee 2$ (seniors 1$)
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

michael c
Stockholm, Sweden1,028 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
the city of Cuenca is littered with churches, this is one of many, but certainly worth a visit then here.
Written October 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Johnny B
Statesville, NC179 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
A nice self-tour of an old church and some interesting photos of the old city and way of life. I'm thankful for the information placards explaining the different exhibits.
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jarko2015
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,731 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Solo
I'm not sure if this is a working church as it's a museum by day. Now superceded by the massive Cathedral a few blocks away, this smaller church is still worth seeing, although there's a $2 entry fee and another $2 for the audio tour, which isn't really necessary. There's not a whole lot to see, but the altar is quite fascinating. There are also a couple of jewellery and art shops on the side, as well as a cafe and free (clean) toilets.
Written July 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James P
Los Angeles, CA204 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2016 • Solo
Being a very Catholic town, many of the sights in Cuenca close down on Sundays. One that doesn't is the old cathedral, which serves as a museum of religious art, sculpture, and ceremonial robes.
Written April 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dee
Boulder, CO107 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2015 • Couples
I loved this old cathedral, now museum, gallery and concert hall. Stepping into its peace and simple beauty immediately put a smile on my face. It was hard to know where to focus first: the life-size statues of the Last Supper on the alter, the organ, the photography exhibit of modern pilgrims. Don't miss the black and white photos outside the main building, near the gift shop... a wonderful glimpse of the past when this cathedral was then the "new" one! I don't know if the photography exhibit in the main building is permanent, but it should be. It's titled "De Peregrina a Peregrina" by Mónica Guerrero Mouret. The photographer has a wonderful eye and beautifully captured the spirit of modern pilgrims. I wish I could have attended a concert here.
Written May 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Angela C
Heber City, UT210 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2014 • Friends
We loved this cathedral. It is absolutely stunning. Wandering around the main nave, the hand-painted murals on the ceiling are fantastic. The life-sized sculptures of Christ and his disciples depicting the Last Supper are amazing and then....you enter another room and..... I am not going to spoil it. This you have to see for yourself. Suffice to say, it moved us all. The placement of the lighting throughout the cathedral only enhances the experience. Excellent.
Written March 13, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Svatava K
Prague, Czech Republic85 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2014 • Couples
Old cathedral of Cuenca is nowadays a museum. We found very interesting old photos - giving us an idea how citizens used to live in this town.
Written February 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Will
Crawford Bay, BC76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Couples
The cathedral is now "just" a museum - an incredible museum. Be sure to look up at the magnificent organ. The windows must have rattled when they played that!
Written December 31, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GlendaS260
Georgetown, TX86 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2012 • Family
The old cathedral is every bit as inspiring as the new cathedral. There is a small admission charge ($1.50 each) which goes to the restoration of the facility. You cannot take pictures but you are allowed to pick a postcard featuring some aspect of the cathedral. They also have available a brochure about the history which has several representative pictures. They are doing a good job of keeping this jewel alive.
Written May 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Museo Catedral Vieja, Cuenca

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