Quito: The legend of Cantuña

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Quito was a colonial city and from its past remain many beautiful colonial buildings in the historical center, as well as various legends. One of the most famous legends of the city tells the story of the construction of the Church of San Francisco, the legend of Cantuña.

The church of San Francisco is located in the heart of the historical center of Quito. It presents a typical, yet unique colonial architecture. As in most legends, not everyone agrees on the details but the main thread remains. So here is roughly what happened :

This story starts when Franciscan monks decide to have a big church built in the town of Quito. They charge an indigenous man called Cantuña to carry out the construction, and promise him a large amount of money if he can finish it within six months. Cantuña is a strong and hard-working man, who is not afraid of the challenge, so he accepts the strict conditions.

He immediately starts working, night and day. But the load of work is immense, and several unexpected setbacks delay the construction. As the deadline approaches, Cantuña realizes it will be impossible to finish on time. On the last evening, Cantuña is desperate. The devil suddenly shows up and offers him a deal : he will have the church finished on time, by the end of the night, and in exchange, Cantuña will give him his soul. Cantuña feels he has no choice so he accepts the deal.

Immediately, dozens of little devils appear and start lifting up the stones, easily. The walls of the church rise quickly and Cantuña understands the devil will carry out his part of the deal on time. So he decides to try and trick him. Very quietly, he approaches a wall and removes one stone, hiding it under his coat. As the night ends, the construction is finished and the devil comes to Cantuña to claim his due. He tries to take Cantuña’s soul but fails. At first, he doesn’t understand why but then he sees the stone hidden in Cantuña’s coat. He gets angry and tries to get the stone back, but the sun already rises, and the devil is defeated. The monks come to admire the church and give Cantuña his payment…

The legend of Cantuña is very famous in Quito. It is still told in the families, taught at school and there are even theatrical groups who reenact the story during guided tours, or performances for the day of the dead or the celebrations of the founding of the city.

And of course the beautiful church of San Francisco deserves a special visit ! It does indeed miss a stone… but the question is, where was it taken from ? Will you be able to find out ? Quick tip : try the southern side of the building, by the stairs…

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