Ransom Room (El Cuarto del Rescate)
El Cuarto del Rescate
The stone room where Inca emperor Atahualpa, after being captured in 1532, promised to fill it with gold and silver. It is the only surviving Inca building in the city.
The Ransom Room is the only surviving Inca stone structure in Cajamarca. Legend says that Atahualpa offered to fill one room with gold and two rooms with silver in exchange for his freedom. The wall still shows a height line said to have been marked by his hand, but he was executed by the Spanish all the same. The room is small, and a visit takes about ten to fifteen minutes. Admission is a combined ticket that also covers the Belén complex and Cerro San Apolonio. It is one block southeast of the main square and within walking distance. It is usually closed on Mondays.
Opening hours
Tue–Sat 09:00–13:00 and 15:00–18:00; Sunday mornings (check on site)
Nearby sights
- Church and Convent of San Francisco
- Belén Monumental Complex
- Plaza de Armas of Cajamarca
- Cajamarca Cathedral (Santa Catalina)
- Cerro Santa Apolonia
- Baños del Inca
- Layzón
- Cumbe Mayo