The white obelisk
Marble and bronze.
Rodrigo Alomía Díaz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Eder — CC BY-SA 4.0 · John PC — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Unión Europea en Perú — CC BY 2.0
A wide grassy plain more than 3,000 metres up where, on 9 December 1824, the Battle of Ayacucho was fought, the last great battle that sealed the independence of Peru and South America from Spain, when the liberation army under Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spanish viceroy's army. In the middle of the plain stands a huge white marble obelisk 44 metres tall, built for the battle's 150th anniversary, surrounded by three-metre bronze statues of the battle's commanders. From its platform you see the green plain and the mountains around it. The area was declared a historic sanctuary in 1980, covering about three square kilometres, and every December people gather here to mark the battle with re-enactments. On ordinary days the plain is quiet, children fly kites and locals sell regional food. Beside the plain is the small village of Quinua, known for its painted pottery workshops, where you can watch craftspeople make small clay figures, and buying from them directly supports them. The altitude and sun are strong, so bring a hat and water.
Marble and bronze.
The battlefield.
Craft workshops.
Near Quinua village, about 37 km north-east of Ayacucho
It was the last great battle of the independence wars: after the viceroy's army lost in 1824, Spanish rule in South America effectively ended.