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Quiet side chapel in the Mezquita-Catedral of Córdoba with a wrought-iron railing and carved Crucifixion, resting place of inca garcilaso de la vega cordoba, warm candlelight on old stone

Inca Garcilaso: The Chronicler Buried in the Mezquita

Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, born in Cusco, died in Córdoba in 1616 and lies in a Mezquita chapel he secured from the Cathedral Chapter in 1612. What remains.

Portrait of Sophie Marchand
Written by

Art history background with eight years writing interpretive content on Córdoba's Caliphal heritage.

Published
Early modern1492–1808
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the Cusco-born chronicler of the Incas, lies in a chapel of the Mezquita-Catedral that he secured through a Cathedral Chapter decision of 29 October 1612[1]. Born in 1539 to a Spanish conquistador and an Inca noblewoman[4], he left Peru in 1560 and died in Córdoba on or around 23 April 1616[2]. Visitors find a chapel and two inscriptions rather than a grand monument, inside a Mezquita-Catedral where general entry is €15[27], so the visit rewards a reader more than a sightseer.
Early modern1492–1808
Chapter decision on chapel
29 Oct 1612
Cathedral Chapter decision on the Chapel of the Souls for his chapel and tomb[1]
Death in Córdoba
c. 23 Apr 1616
Recorded date; the documents allow up to two days earlier[2]
Move from Montilla
1591
Settles in Córdoba after his aunt's death and takes minor orders[3]
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Cusco to Montilla: a mestizo's long road to Spain

Garcilaso was born Gómez Suárez de Figueroa in Cusco on 12 April 1539[4], the son of the conquistador Sebastián Garcilaso de la Vega y Vargas and the Inca noblewoman Isabel Suárez Chimpu Ocllo. His mother was a niece of Huayna Capac, which made the boy one of the first Peruvian mestizos, schooled by both families in Quechua and Spanish tradition[5].

Visiting basics

  • His chapel, the Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory, is inside the Mezquita-Catedral[1]
  • Tickets: €15 general, €12 reduced, free for diocese residents, under-10s[27][28][29]
  • Free for individuals Monday to Saturday, 8:30 to 9:30[30]
  • Open 10:00 to 19:00; last entry 30 minutes before closing[31][32]
On 20 January 1560, a little over twenty, he left Cusco with 4,000 gold pesos left by his father and settled in Montilla under his uncle Alonso de Vargas[6]. Montilla stayed his home for the next three decades. It was also the base from which he went to fight the Morisco uprising in the Alpujarras of Granada between 1568 and 1570[7].
He asked Philip II for leave to go back to Peru and received it[8]. He never went. Whatever kept him in Andalusia, it was not a refusal from the Crown, and that detail matters for everything he later wrote about a country he could remember but not revisit.

Córdoba from 1591: minor orders and three books

In 1591, after the death of his aunt Luisa Ponce de León, Garcilaso moved from Montilla to the city of Córdoba, took minor orders in the service of the Church and joined its humanist circles[3]. Three books carry his name from either side of that move, and each one shows a different side of a man who was at once a Spanish gentleman, a minor churchman and a self-declared Inca:
  • The translation of Leon Hebreo's Dialoghi d'amore (1590), with Inga printed on the title page[9]
  • La Florida del Inca (1605), an account of de Soto's expedition to the south-east of today's United States, built on the memories of the veteran Gonzalo Silvestre[10]
  • The first part of the Comentarios Reales (Lisbon, 1609), on pre-Hispanic Peru[11]
The Comentarios were written, in his own phrase, to meet the debt owed to his homeland and his maternal kin[12]. That is an unusual motive for a Córdoba study: the Peru on the page is the one his mother's family remembered, set down in Spanish for Spanish readers, from a desk thousands of kilometres from Cusco.
A second part, on the Conquest, was finished around 1612 but appeared only in 1617, after his death[13]. That is close to the date of his chapel, so the history and the burial plot were taking shape in the same years. For a reader walking the city, that overlap is the useful fact: Córdoba was where he completed his account of the Conquest and where he decided how he would be remembered.

The Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory

Garcilaso secured the Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory in the Mezquita-Catedral through a Cathedral Chapter decision dated 29 October 1612, so that he could establish his chapel and tomb there[1]. The cathedral was not new to him: the documents already show him working as its sacristan[14].
He furnished the space himself. He gave it a carved Crucifixion commissioned from Felipe Vázquez de Ureta and a railing by Gaspar Martínez[15]. Two side inscriptions now describe his life and work[16].
Interior of the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba with its iconic red-and-white arches and forest of columns

Explore nearby · Monument

Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba

856 columns, 1,300 years of Islamic and Christian history. UNESCO monument in Córdoba, Andalusia. Red-and-white arches, Byzantine mosaics, a Renaissance nave.

The epitaph, traditionally credited to him, says he lived in Córdoba devoutly, died as an example to others, endowed the chapel, was buried in it, and tied his estate to prayers for the souls in Purgatory[17]. It also lists what he wanted remembered as a writer: La Florida, the Leon Hebreo translation and the Comentarios Reales[18]. A man who spent more than half a century in Spain chose to be buried as a pious Córdoban and to be read as an Inca.

April 1616 and the afterlife of the books

Garcilaso died in Córdoba on or around 23 April 1616. The record gives the 23rd, though the surviving documents are imprecise enough that it may have been up to two days earlier[2], and another account calls the 23rd probable after a long illness[19]. His last years were those of a minor cleric with duties at a charitable hospital[20]. Popular biographical summaries likewise give 23 April 1616[21].
The books outlived him unevenly. The historian John Hemming judges that Garcilaso meanders, forgets, romanticises or distorts too often to stand as an authority[22], a charge that has followed the Comentarios ever since. Spanish colonial officials took the opposite view of its power: after the 1781 Tupac Amaru II uprising, royal officials quietly seized all known copies of the history in Peru[23].
Reconstruction view of the original Great Mosque of Córdoba founded by abd al-rahman i cordoba in 785 CE, striped red and white double arches over Roman and Visigothic columns, golden midday light through the prayer hall, photorealistic

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Abd al-Rahman I: The Fugitive Who Founded Córdoba

Abd al-Rahman I survived the massacre of his Umayyad family in 750 CE, fled six years across North Africa, and founded the Emirate of Córdoba at just 25.

Part of his ashes later travelled the other way. On 25 November 1978 King Juan Carlos deposited a casket with them in Cusco Cathedral[24]. Córdoba keeps the grave and Cusco a token of it. Roughly the geography of his life.

Finding Garcilaso in Córdoba today

His grave is in the Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory inside the mosque turned cathedral. On 23 April 2016, the 400th anniversary of his death, the day's commemorations opened with a floral offering in the chapel, where the Inca's remains are buried, and the Peruvian ambassador spoke[25].
What to look for, and where else the story continues:

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  • The chapel itself: a carved Crucifixion, a railing, and two inscriptions on the side walls telling his life
  • The Plaza del Indiano, where a bust was unveiled the same day in 2016[25]
  • The Casa del Inca in Montilla, where he lived and wrote an important part of his work[26]
For the Mezquita-Catedral, general entry is €15 and reduced entry €12 for over-65s, students aged 15 to 26 and European Youth Card holders[27][28]. People born in or resident in the Diocese of Córdoba and children under 10 enter free[29]. Individuals can also visit free Monday to Saturday, from 8:30 to 9:30, though group visits are not allowed in that slot[30]. Regular hours run from 10:00 to 19:00 with last entry half an hour before closing[31][32], and special events can change them[33].
The Casa del Inca is at Calle Capitán Alonso de Vargas 3 in Montilla, telephone 857 610 646; confirm opening times by phone before going[34]. Go with the epitaph in mind and the chapel reads differently. It is the one place in the cathedral where a Peruvian prince's nephew arranged his own burial.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Inca Garcilaso de la Vega?
A chronicler born in Cusco on 12 April 1539 to a Spanish conquistador father and an Inca noblewoman mother[4]. He lived most of his life in Montilla and Córdoba and wrote La Florida del Inca and the Comentarios Reales[10][11].

Why is Inca Garcilaso de la Vega buried in Cordoba?
He left Peru in 1560, never returned despite royal permission, and settled in Montilla and then Córdoba[6][8][3]. A Cathedral Chapter decision of 29 October 1612 secured him the Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory for his chapel and tomb[1].

Where is Inca Garcilaso de la Vega buried in the Mezquita?
In the Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory in the Mezquita-Catedral, which carries two side inscriptions describing his life and work[16]. The chapel's exact position inside the building should be checked with the cathedral's official visitor information.

When did Inca Garcilaso die?
On or around 23 April 1616 in Córdoba. The 23rd is the recorded date, but documents leave room for a death up to two days earlier[2].

What are the Comentarios Reales?
His account of pre-Hispanic Peru, first published in Lisbon in 1609[11]. A second part on the Conquest was finished around 1612 and printed posthumously in 1617[13].

Is Inca Garcilaso a reliable historian?
Opinions divide. Historian John Hemming says he meanders, forgets, romanticises or distorts too often to be an authority[22], yet the Comentarios Reales remain one of the three works his own epitaph lists[18].

Did Inca Garcilaso ever go back to Peru?
No. He asked Philip II for permission to return and was granted it, but never went[8]. Part of his ashes reached Cusco Cathedral only in 1978[24].

Further reading

Sources

34 references Show
  1. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Capilla de las animas del purgatorio (opens in a new tab)

    “the Cathedral Chapter granted this space on 29 October 1612 so that he could establish his chapel and tomb.”

  2. Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    “It is recorded that he died in Córdoba on 23 April 1616, but it could have been up to two days earlier because of the inaccuracy of the existing documents.”

  3. cervantesvirtual.com (opens in a new tab)

    “En 1591, tras la muerte de su tía Luisa Ponce de León, Garcilaso se traslada a vivir a Córdoba, entra con órdenes menores al servicio de la Iglesia”

  4. rarebooks.library.nd.edu (opens in a new tab)

    “Garcilaso de la Vega, the "Inca," was born Gomez Suarez de Figueroa in Cuzco on April 12th, 1539.”

  5. rarebooks.library.nd.edu (opens in a new tab)

    “Their son was thus one of the first Peruvian mestizos, and both sides of the family took care to ensure that he was exposed to the traditions of their respective cultures.”

  6. cervantesvirtual.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Parte de Cuzco el 20 de enero de 1560”

  7. cervantesvirtual.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Entre 1568 y 1570 participa en los combates contra el levantamiento de los moriscos en Las Alpujarras de Granada”

  8. bbva.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Aunque le pidió permiso al rey Felipe II para volver a Perú y se lo concedió, nunca regresó.”

  9. rarebooks.library.nd.edu (opens in a new tab)

    “yet he called attention to his mestizo status by styling himself "Inga" on the title page.”

  10. rarebooks.library.nd.edu (opens in a new tab)

    “For years he had collaborated with Gonzalo Silvestre, a survivor of de Soto's expedition to what are now the southeastern United States”

  11. Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    “While in Spain, Garcilaso wrote his best-known work, Comentarios Reales de los Incas, published in Lisbon in 1609.”

  12. bbva.com (opens in a new tab)

    “para “cumplir la obligación, que a la patria y a los parientes maternos, se les debía”.”

  13. cervantesvirtual.com (opens in a new tab)

    “aunque terminada hacia 1612, sólo se publicaría ya póstumamente en 1617”

  14. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Capilla de las animas del purgatorio (opens in a new tab)

    “the relationship between Garcilaso and the Cathedral began prior to this, as is revealed in the documentary sources which tell us of his position as sacristan.”

  15. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Capilla de las animas del purgatorio (opens in a new tab)

    “gave the chapel a carving of a Crucifixion, commissioned from Felipe Vázquez de Ureta, and a railing, the work of Gaspar Martínez.”

  16. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Capilla de las animas del purgatorio (opens in a new tab)

    “The author of La Florida, whose life and work is described in two side inscriptions”

  17. bbva.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Vivió en Córdoba con mucha religión, murió ejemplar; dotó esta capilla, enterróse en ella; vinculó sus bienes al sufragio de las ánimas del Purgatorio.”

  18. cervantesvirtual.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Comentó La Florida, tradujo a León Hebreo y compuso los Comentarios Reales.”

  19. cervantesvirtual.com (opens in a new tab)

    “probablemente el 23 de abril, el autor había muerto en Córdoba tras una larga enfermedad”

  20. rarebooks.library.nd.edu (opens in a new tab)

    “In his last years Garcilaso became a minor cleric, took on duties at a charitable hospital”

  21. bbva.com (opens in a new tab)

    “Murió un 23 de abril de 1616, como dos grandes autores de la literatura universal, Cervantes y Shakespeare.”

  22. Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

    “he meanders, forgets, romanticises, or blatantly distorts too often to remain authorative.”

  23. rarebooks.library.nd.edu (opens in a new tab)

    “all known copies of the Inca's History in Peru were quietly seized by royal officials in the wake of the 1781 Tupac Amaru II uprising.”

  24. bbva.com (opens in a new tab)

    “El 25 de noviembre de 1978, el Rey Juan Carlos viajó a Perú y depositó, en la Catedral de Cuzco, una arqueta con parte de las cenizas del Inca Garcilaso de la Vega”

  25. andina.pe (opens in a new tab)

    “La jornada conmemorativa se inició con la ofrenda floral en la capilla de las Animas de la Mezquita Catedral, donde se encuentran enterrados los restos del Inca.”

  26. bbva.com (opens in a new tab)

    “En la localidad cordobesa se encuentra la Casa del Inca, donde vivió y escribió una parte importante de su obra.”

  27. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Mezquita catedral (opens in a new tab)

    “General: €15”

  28. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Mezquita catedral (opens in a new tab)

    “Reduced price: €12 For people over the age of 65, students between the ages of 15 and 26 and holders of the “European Youth Card””

  29. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Mezquita catedral (opens in a new tab)

    “Free of charge: People who were born in or are residents of the Diocese of Córdoba, children under 10”

  30. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Mezquita catedral (opens in a new tab)

    “Monday to Saturday: 8:30 to 9:30 hrs free visit. Except on day of extraordinary celebration. Group visits are not allowed in this schedule.”

  31. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Entradas y horarios (opens in a new tab)

    “From 10:00 to 19:00”

  32. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Entradas y horarios (opens in a new tab)

    “Last entry to the Monumental Site is half an hour before closing time and after this time no more tickets will be sold and there will be no access allowed.”

  33. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es — Entradas y horarios (opens in a new tab)

    “The opening days and times may be modified on an exceptional basis when special events are held.”

  34. montilla.es (opens in a new tab)

    “CASA DEL INCA GARCILASO DE LA VEGA”