Pre-Columbian Quito
Culture that inhabited the Quito area before the Incas.
Quitu-Cara
Year Quito was founded by the Spanish.
1534
Year of Quito’s First Cry of Independence.
1809
Baroque church famous for its golden interior.
La Compañía de Jesús
Major Enlightenment thinker and physician from Quito.
Eugenio Espejo
Type of political organization led by local chiefs before Inca rule.
Chiefdoms (cacicazgos)
Spanish conqueror associated with the founding of Quito.
Sebastián de Benalcázar
Name commonly given to the 1809 independence movement.
First Cry of Independence
International recognition granted to Quito’s historic center in 1978.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Annual celebration commemorating Quito’s foundation.
Fiestas de Quito
Empire that incorporated Quito into its territory in the late 15th century.
Inca Empire
Colonial administrative body governing Quito and surrounding regions.
Real Audiencia of Quito
Battle that secured Quito’s independence.
Battle of Pichincha
Hilltop monument representing the Virgin overlooking Quito.
Virgen del Panecillo
Ecuadorian poet and diplomat born in Quito.
Jorge Carrera Andrade
Strategic reason why the Incas valued Quito geographically.
Control of inter-Andean routes
Major colonial uprising against taxes and reforms in Quito.
Rebellion of 1765
Short-lived republic Quito joined after independence.
Gran Colombia
One of the oldest and largest religious complexes in Quito.
San Francisco Church and Monastery
19th-century painter known for scenes of Andean life.
Antonio Salinas
Main function of carved stone structures found in pre-Hispanic Quito.
Ritual and ceremonial purposes
Economic system that exploited Indigenous labor during colonial times.
Encomienda system
Military leader of the patriot forces at Pichincha.
Antonio José de Sucre
Central architectural feature of colonial houses in Quito.
Interior patio
Scientist from Quito who contributed to geography and cartography.
Pedro Vicente Maldonado