Among the clouds of the PERINO PERUVIANO peaks there is one of the most fascinating places ever shared by the hand of man: the archaeological complex of Machu Picchuthird by extension after those of Pompeii and ancient Ostia.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983 and classified as One of the new seven wonders of the world In 2007, the lost city of the Inca still represents an extraordinary enigma sculpted in the stone, a jewel of priceless value that tells the story of an empire and its relationship with the sky and earth. But who wanted its construction? And how did the ancient Inca engineers manage to build such an extraordinary city in such an impervious place?
The origins of Machu Picchu: the masterpiece of the Inca Empire
Machu Picchu, who in this language means “old mountain”, was built around 1440 at the behest of the emperor Pachacúctec, a sovereign who transformed the Inca kingdom into a vast empire, extended by Colombia to the current Argentine and Chile. After having consolidated the Just domain, Pachacúctec started a series of ambitious architectural projects, aimed at strengthening the political and religious power of the Inca, but also to leave an indelible mark in history. Machu Picchu perhaps represents the most extraordinary of these projects: a city city built about 130 kilometers from the city of Cuzco, capital of the Empire, which responded to strategic, spiritual and propaganda needs.
An unparalleled engineering company
Building Machu Picchu on a mountain ridge at 2,350 meters above sea level was a titanic undertaking. Inc engineers had to face multiple challenges: transport huge stone blocks, protect the structures from the torrential rains and strengthen the soil to avoid sagging. To solve these problems, a complex system of terraces with a double intent terraces was made: make the soil stable, but also to encourage cultivation and guarantee the outflow of rainwater through over 130 drainage channels.
The supply of materials represented another challenge. The Incas did not have somoma animals and did not know the wheel, but they made use of an ingenious solution: the site was naturally scattered with granite blocks, which were worked on the spot. The manufacturers sculpted the stone directly in the quarries, creating blocks with a convex shape to reduce friction during transport. These were then dragged with vegetable ropes, sleds and wooden levers to the city.
One of the most narcotic aspects of the Inca construction technique is the precision with which the blocks were stuck with each other. Malta was not used, yet the stones combine perfectly thanks to a technique that involved the modeling of a block based on the form of the adjacent one, a case that not only guaranteed extraordinary structural stability, but which even made Machu Picchu resistant to earthquakes, very frequent in this region.
The symbolic meaning of Machu Picchu
The original function of Machu Picchu still remains a debated theme between scholars. Some believe it was a winter residence for the emperor, others that was a ceremonial center or a place of spiritual retreat for the Inca aristocracy.
The analysis of the main buildings provides some clues.
One of the most relevant buildings is the temple dedicated to the sun, the supreme divinity of the Inca. Here is a stone slab perfectly aligned with a window through which, on the day of the winter solstice, the sunlight directly illuminate the surface of the rock, in what is considered a sophisticated astronomical tool. At another point of the city stands the Intihuatana, a stone pillar that served to “tie the sun”, symbolically preventing him from moving too far during the solstices.
The abandonment and rediscovery of the lost city
After about a century from its construction, Machu Picchu was mysteriously abandoned, probably due to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1532. However, unlike other Inca cities, he was never discovered and sacked by the Spaniards, remaining wrapped in the vegetation until 20th century.
It was the American explorer Hiram Bingham, professor of Yale, who “rediscover” Machu Picchu in 1911, led by local inhabitants who have always knew the existence of the ruins. The importance of the discovery was immediately evident, so much so that the American university started a series of archaeological shipments to study and bring to light the hidden treasures of the city.
Machu Picchu’s biodiversity
In addition to being an archaeological site of immense historical value, Machu Picchu is also an extraordinary natural sanctuary, located between the Andes and the Peruvian Amazon. A decidedly particular environment, which houses a truly sensational biodiversity, with animal and vegetable species of great interest.
Among the most representative mammals we can mention the puma, the bear with glasses, the vecaccia and the deer with a white tail. The area is also a paradise for ornithologists, with over 420 species of birds, including the majestic Andean condor and the Andean rock cockerel.
Machu Picchu’s flora is no different: over 300 species of orchids grow in its nebulous forests, together with giant ferns, bromelaies and other exotic plants, which contribute to creating an enchanted and life landscape.
Machu Picchu Today: a legacy to be protected
Today Machu Picchu is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, with over one million visitors per year. However, the growing tourist pressure represents a threat to the conservation of the site, and for this reason the Peruvian government has introduced a series of rigorous rules to limit the number of daily accesses and preserve the integrity of the place from the dangers of the so -called Overurism.
