Between 1982 and 1983, Anselm Pi Rambla and his team undertook a journey of archaeological, anthropological, and ecological research and exploration through various regions of Peru, collaborating with the government of architect Belaunde Terry. While in Cusco, conducting filming at Saqsaywaman, Pi Rambla, by a stroke of fate, was able to confirm firsthand the existence of the Chinkana thanks to the Prior of the Convent of Santo Domingo at that time: " "…In October 1982, I visited the Prior of the Convent of Santo Domingo with Francesc Serrat to inquire about the legend of the Chinkana and whether the Dominicans had any proof of its existence. We presented our credentials from the Government of Peru, and to my great surprise, the Prior confirmed that the Chinkana did indeed exist, and he even knew where the entrance was, although it had been sealed for 40 years, and he himself had never entered it. He took us to the Main Hall of the Church, where there was a small altar on one of the sides, placed atop a wooden floor. We removed the altar and a carpet beneath it, revealing a wooden trapdoor that blended in with the floor. We opened the trapdoor and descended a staircase leading to a crypt from the colonial era. On the left-hand side of the crypt was the entrance to a tunnel, completely sealed with red brick masonry. Some of the bricks were loose, and we removed a few of them. Using a powerful flashlight, we confirmed the existence of a massive Incan tunnel. Its walls were made of rectangular andesite stones, expertly carved and fitted (similar to the temples above), with tightly joined seams. The ceiling was composed of smooth slabs, approximately 2 meters long, perfectly fitted together—truly a spectacular construction.".
Crypt Drawings
Drawing of the tunnel-chinkana integration crypt
Drawing of the crypt of the Epistle Nave and tunnel with exit to the street
The tunnel must have been very long, as the beam of the flashlight disappeared into the darkness. The Prior assured us that this tunnel was the entrance to the famous Chinkana spoken of in all the legends, which connected to Saqsaywaman. We asked for permission to break through the brick masonry wall and conduct a thorough investigation of the tunnel with the rest of the exploration team, who at that moment were filming in Saqsaywaman. I was surprised by the Prior’s reaction, as he flatly refused to allow us to explore beyond that point. His words were: "You have already seen too much. You are privileged to witness what I have shown you, and even with government permits, I will not let you enter that place as it is very dangerous." The Prior’s unexpected reaction was very frustrating, as we couldn’t quite understand why he had shown us this secret only to deny us further access. I believe that, in that moment, he became frightened and regretted revealing everything to us. Additionally, we were unable to take any photographs since we hadn’t brought a camera with us to the convent. We later submitted a report about everything that had occurred to the Government of Belaunde Terry through the Vice Minister of Tourism, Héctor Gadea Rubio. This incident was one of the main reasons why, years later, Anselm Pi Rambla and his team initiated a research project with the Government of Peru (Koricancha Project, 2000) to explore and uncover this highly significant and well-guarded secret.
Exact simulation of where we go down
Note: at the time of entering we did not have any camera with us, only a flashlight that we were able to focus on the tunnelTESTIMONY ENTERING THE CRYPT IN 1982
INTERVIEW HBO CHANNEL IN SAQSAYWAMAN 2001
In 1982, Anselm Pi Rambla was able to enter with the Prior at that time and his friend Francesc Serrat into a Crypt that was connected to a chinkana tunnel that links Koricancha with Saqsaywaman.
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INTERVIEW CHANNEL TV CUSCO 2000
Interview from a Cusco Television Channel about the entrance with the Prior of the Convent, my friend Francesc Serrat and myself to the famous Crypt in 1982 that connects with the Chinkana mentioned in the ancient chronicles and that leads to the Solar Citadel of Saqsaywaman
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In March 1994, journalist and researcher Javier Sierra obtained new information about the existence of the tunnel through the Prior of the Convent of Santo Domingo, Father Benigno Gamarra: " ... "The earthquake that devastated Cusco in 1950 forced us to seal the entrance to the tunnel to further consolidate the church's foundations. However, not everything was lost with that closure, because, as I was able to discover during my years as a student here, and more recently as Prior, the tunnel served a very special purpose." (Father Benigno Gamarra) His interview with the Prior brought unexpected revelations he had not foreseen: Father Benigno Gamarra, recently appointed as Prior of the site, summoned me early one morning to show me something he had kept secret until that day. I remember it well. The Father received me in his office shortly before dawn on March 21 to solve the mystery of the golden corn. 'I will tell you, and I will allow you to take photographs and ask questions, but only on one condition,' the Prior warned. 'You must not reveal what I am about to share with you until I am no longer here.' I agreed. Gamarra then unwrapped a bundle he had placed on the table in his office, revealing two elaborate gold crowns with inlays. 'The golden corn you asked about was melted shortly after the death of the student. With the gold we obtained, my predecessors crafted these crowns for the Virgin and the Child in the church.' ¿Y por qué no están en la iglesia, con las imágenes para las que fueron fundidas?, le pregunté mientras admiraba el oro gastado de aquellas joyas. Hace ya mucho que las escondimos, para no despertar la ambición de los buscadores de tesoros".
Golden Corn
Crowns of the Virgin and Child
Important DOCUMENT from the 17th century available in the Regional Archive of Cusco where the Dominican fathers of the Convent of Santo Domingo del Cusco made a contract to enter the Chinkana Grande in order to find the treasure of the Incas
After remaining hidden for four centuries in the archives of Cusco, we are pleased to present this groundbreaking document, which reveals crucial information about the existence of the Chinkana in the Convent of Santo Domingo in Cusco, as well as the fundamental role played by the Dominican friars in this fascinating and enigmatic matter. This manuscript, discovered in late 2010 in the Royal Archive of Cusco by the Cusqueñan historian Ronald Camala Valenzuela, while conducting research at the library of the National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco (UNSAAC), is an extraordinary and unique testimony belonging to the archives of the Dominican Order in Cusco. It details how the Dominican friars actively participated in the search for the Inca treasure, knowing that it had been hidden in the Chinkana of Cusco. This discovery also corroborates the research and findings made by Anselm Pi Rambla and his team in the Convent of Santo Domingo. Thus, after 400 years of lying dormant in obscurity, we have the privilege of presenting this significant document, which not only provides key information about the Chinkana of Cusco but also sheds new light on the historical role played by the Catholic Church in this mysterious chapter of Andean history.
