The Church of San Pedro de Ninacaca, Pasco: Construction testimony of the mestizo roofs in the central Andes of Peru during the 16th century

In Peru there is almost no evidence of buildings built by Spanish builders in the 16th century, due to the earthquakes and wars that occurred during the following centuries, causing the collapse of these buildings or their permanent reconstruction. This makes the original characteristics unrecognizable, which is most evident in religious architecture. A temple was recently identified whose construction dates to the 16th century, corresponding to the church of San Pedro de Ninacaca located in Pasco, which maintains its original construction characteristics. This temple allowed us to carry out a comparative investigation with archival documentation and determine the real characteristics of the first roofs of religious buildings in the central Peruvian Andes. It is concluded that since the 16th century there was a mix between Spanish construction techniques and the implementation of the local population with pre-Hispanic technology, with rustic roofs made with logs, cane, and straw.