Photo Gallery

Dressing up and wearing homemade woollen masks is always fun for the Indians. - Whitsun festival in Ollantaytambo, Cuzco department - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Chaque village de la Sierra, à l'exemple de la plus petite localité de la péninsule ibérique, a son patron ou sa patronne dont la fête est le prétexte de réjouissances qui durent plusieurs jours et auxquelles participent tous les membres de la communauté. - Procession de Pentecôte à Ollantaytambo, département de Cuzco. - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Des indigènes de la Sierra se rendent à cheval à rune des fêtes de leur communauté. - 1969

Pentecost Festival in Ollantaytambo, Cuzco - Young Indian woman in typical costume. - 1969

The procession in honour of the ‘Señor de Choquekillka’, the principal patron saint of the Inca city of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This major local event is celebrated every year around the Christian feast of Pentecost in May or June. It combines Catholic traditions with ancient Andean customs to form a significant cultural syncretism and has been declared part of Peru’s national cultural heritage. The villagers carry the cross, richly adorned with flowers and white robes, from the main church through the streets of the town. The relic being carried is an ornate cross which, according to local legend, was found in the nearby Vilcanota River at the beginning of the 20th century. – Peru – 1969

During the Whitsun festival in Ollantaytambo, this mask is worn by the dancers of the Ukuku troupe. These mythological figures represent beings that are half-human and half-bear. They act as humorous yet disciplined intermediaries between humans and the mountain gods (Apus). During the colourful processions through the Inca streets of Ollantaytambo, they maintain order, joke with the spectators and accompany the holy cross. – Peru – 1969