Abstract

UNESCO declared Cusco a historical site due to the importance of its constructions and traditions. However, Cusco lies on an active tectonic area with several plate faults and thus, is prone to endure seismic activity. The 1650 and 1950 earthquakes had devastating consequences on churches, with collapses of bell towers, roofs and vertical walls. After these earthquakes, the churches became more complex because of reinforcement and diverse structural changes introduced. Therefore, it is necessary to understand their current static and dynamic behaviour. In addition, it is fundamental to establish control measures to preserve churches and to guarantee safety of the hosted people, as well as to protect the artistic, architectural and cultural treasures they contain. The first step, however, is to survey the churches and to fully identify their structural features. This article presents a description of the architectural and structural typologies of the churches in the historic centre of Cusco and its relation to the most common failure mechanisms experienced by churches during earthquakes. To this end, this research carefully recreates typologies, geometry, materials and interventions carried on over centuries on these churches. It contributes to the seismic vulnerability knowledge of the studied churches and gives conclusions for decision-makers in future resilience plans.