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Its ancient name was Antawaylla (anta = cooper, waylla = prairie) which is translated as "coppery prairie". The name was later Spanished into "Andahuaylas"; but as a bigger province having the same name existing in the Apurimac department its name was transformed in a diminutive way for avoiding confusions. Andahuaylillas is a very welcoming small town, with a healthy warm climate as consequence of being surrounded by mountains on the left bank of the "Vilcanota" river that in lower regions is named "Urubamba". Its lands have a privileged fertility and its people are tranquil and friendly.
On its vast Main Plaza adorned with "pisonay" (coral trees) and palm trees is its most valuable jewel: the Andahuaylillas colonial church. The church is considered to be the "Sistine Chapel" of the Americas, because of the quality of the artworks found inside it. This church must have been built over some important Inkan building, possibly a "Waka" (shrine), as bases of the church were made with carved andesites belonging to religious Quechua architecture.
Entering the church through its main gate, towards the left side is the baptistery; around its entrance is the writing "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen"; what is interesting is that the writing is in five languages spoken at the time when the church was built: Latin, Spanish, Quechua, Pukina and Aymara (today Pukina is an extinct language). On the surface behind the facade, that is, inside the church, on both sides of the gate are murals representing a crowded and attractive profane path leading to hell and another virtuous towards heaven.Outside, on the western side of the church's front patio are three big crosses sculpted in andesite; the central one is the biggest and they represent the Holy Trinity of Catholicism, that is, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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