Cathedral of Cusco, Bell

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin in Cusco, which is also known as 'Cusco Cathedral,' is set on the main square of the Peruvian city, the Plaza de Armas. Building was completed in 1654, almost a hundred years after construction began.

Maria Angola Bell. The right tower of the cathedral supports the famous 'Maria Angola,' a bell that is 2.15 metres high, and weighs approximately 5980kgs. Cast in 1659, and named, according to local tradition, after an Angolan slave who threw gold into the crucible where the bell was being made. Today, the bell is cracked and is only rung on special occasions, although it has been claimed that it was once heard ringing from over 20 miles away.