Posts tagged Ecuador

Letters from Ecuador: Quito, the Pearl of South America in the Middle of the World…

My dear travelers and lovers of unusual journeys, welcome to the new series of travelogues on the Mr.M blog. This November will be dedicated to an unusual country in the heart of South America, a country known for the best cocoa, bananas and coffee – Ecuador. At the very beginning of this series of travelogues, I would like to thank PRO ECUADOR, the tourism board of the city of Quito – Visit Quito, the Dutch national airline KLM, as well as other partners who selflessly supported my adventure in South America. With their help, travelogues from Ecuador and fashion stories were created that you will have the opportunity to read this November and December, and I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the new adventure.

If by any chance you missed reading the previous posts about the travelogue and fashion story from Ecuador or you want to remind yourself of some interesting things, take the opportunity to visit the following links:

During every trip, the hotel where we stay is very important to all of us, because the hotel is our home in the new destination and therefore it is very important to choose a good hotel in each destination. During my stay in the capital of Ecuador, my Hotel Patio Andaluz was my home, decorated with style, comfort and a beautiful atmosphere in the old heart of Quito.

Hotel Patio Andaluz is an elegant boutique hotel housed in a late 16th century colonial style house, a national monument whose walls hide centuries of history and art with exceptional architecture adorned with grand arches and interior courtyards filled with bright and colourful gardens. Because of all these unusual details, this hotel has charm and provides a pleasant atmosphere for all guests and visitors. The Rincon de Cantuna restaurant, inside its main courtyard, offers excellent options of Ecuadorian and international dishes.

Hotel Patio Andaluz has an exceptional location in the Colonial heart of Quito just 150 meters from the Main Square also known as Independence Square, a few minutes walk to San Francisco’s most famous church and square and a 5 minute walk to La Compania Church and its impressive golden interior and among other places of great importance in the colonial old part of Quito, such as museums, churches and numerous historical sites.

The hotel is spacious and in every lobby of the hotel there are living rooms and areas to relax, enjoy a drink and admire all the decorative pieces, plants and architectural details that give the hotel warmth and feel like you are at home. The Guayasamin reading room has a wide selection of literature and has a station for hot drinks, coffee and tea. This wonderful reading room is decorated with paintings by the famous Ecuadorian painter Osvaldo Guayasamino.

Make yourself at home in one of the 32 air-conditioned rooms featuring LED televisions. Free WiFi internet will keep you connected to family, friends and the world, and cable TV is available for your entertainment and learning about Ecuadorian culture and local daily life. All bathrooms have a shower and have all the necessary toiletries and a hair dryer.

I was accommodated in a Superior Premium room which has a view that is simply breathtaking as you can see the whole old part of Quito like in the palm of your hand. Located on the 4th floor, with a spectacular view of the historic center of Quito, it has a French king-sized bed measuring 2m x 2m, cable channels on a 32-inch LCD TV and air conditioning. In addition to air conditioning, the hotel also has portable heaters that can keep you warm during your stay if outside temperatures are lower than usual.

I would like to give a special thanks to the staff of Hotel Patio Andaluz for their warm welcome and hosting me in their hotel. The stay in their hotel was exceptional, a unique experience that I will remember!

Today we continue with getting to know the capital of Ecuador and recommending which places you should visit during your stay in this charming pearl of South America, which is located in the very “middle of the world”.

Today’s acquaintance with Quito begins with the most famous cathedral in Quito, which I had the opportunity to see every morning from my room’s window – Basilica of the National Vow. This basilica is also known as the Basilica of the Consecration of Jesus or the Basilica of San Juan (after the part of the city in which it is located) or simply La Basilica. This basilica is a neo-Gothic religious building in the historic center of Quito. Due to its dimensions and style, it was considered the largest neo-Gothic temple in America. In addition to being the highest religious temple in Latin America until 2017, when the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary was built in Manizales.

The Basilica of the National Vow arose from the idea to build a monument as an eternal memory of the consecration of the Republic of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, proposed by Father Julio Matovele, a representative of the Republic in 1883.

The project was contracted in France by the French architect Emilio Tarlier, who already had experience in similar constructions in Spain, France and England, who was inspired by the Paris Cathedral of Notre Dame, made plans between 1890 and 1896. President Luis Cordero Crespo issued a decree on the start of work on July 23, 1883, although in practice it was carried out during the time of President José María Placido Camaña, who ratified the decree on March 5, 1884.

The construction of the facility was originally planned in the El Belen sector, north of La Alameda Park, for which in 1884 the Convention provided for the purchase of land located in this area, but after preliminary studies it was determined that the soil was not suitable to build a facility of the desired size and that construction on that site would require extremely high costs. It was then decided to change the location of the building, suggesting the fifth part of the Hurtado family, located at the foot of the San Juan Hill, whose soil was strong enough to support the weight of this religious building.

During the construction of the basilica, donations were received from the faithful who gave money, participated in the construction or gave building materials in exchange for carving their names on the stone. In 1895, the state introduced a tax on the purchase of salt for the continuation of construction.

A few years later, in 1901, Father Matovele and his community of Oblate missionaries took over the construction at the request of Archbishop Pedro Rafael González Callisto, and officially on July 10, 1892, the first stone was laid. From 1892 to 1909, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Mary was built.

Although decorative details are still missing, it can be said that this religious building, as it is known today, was completed in 1924, when masses and bells on the towers began to be celebrated in the central part. Certain folk beliefs say that the day the basilica is finished, the end of the world will come or the Republic of Ecuador will disappear as a free and sovereign state.

The basilica was blessed by Pope John Paul II on January 30, 1985, although it was officially consecrated and inaugurated on July 12, 1988.

The Basilica of the National Vow is the most important work of Ecuadorian neo-Gothic architecture and one of the most representative on the American continent, and at the same time the largest religious building in the countries of the New World. Due to its structure and style, it is compared to two great cathedrals around the world: St. Patrick’s Cathedral (New York) and Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris).

The central part of the cathedral (nave) is 140 meters long, 35 meters wide and 30 meters high, in addition to the 74-meter height in the transept. The two front towers are each 115 meters high.

The cathedral has seven entrances, three on the facade and four on the side. A solid underground public crypt, with a kind of chapel of the same characteristics. It also has an elegant and national pantheon where the remains of several heads of state rest.

Located below the basilica, with access from the west side, there is the National Pantheon of the Heads of State of Ecuador, although not all of them are buried in this place, but only four:

  • Andres F. Cordoba (1892-1983)
  • Camilo Ponce Enriquez (1912-1976)
  • Mariano Suarez Veintimila (1897-1980)
  • Antonio Flores Gijon (1833-1915)

The construction of this pantheon is in accordance with the visit of Father Matovele to the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial, where the remains of the kings, queens and babies of Spain rest, and was started five years after the temple, and completed by Father Rigoberto Correa.

The crypt consists of 50 French marble tombs for bodies and 150 for urns, all with tombstones with the gold shield of Ecuador. Since 2002, there has been a ceremony to ensure the eternal rest of the remains of heads of state in this place, unless the deceased or his heirs have an express will to bury it elsewhere.

After the Cathedral, my advice is to visit the Our Lady of the City of Quito, which you can see from absolutely every part of Quito – Our Lady of El Panesil. The protector of the city is also known as the Virgin of Whales because of the name of the sculpture she was inspired by. It is located at the top of the hill of El Panecillo, an unusual elevation in the shape of a small loaf of bread located in the heart of the city and serving as a backdrop to the historic center.

At 41 meters tall, if the base is added, it is the tallest statue in Ecuador and one of the tallest in South America, surpassing even the famous Christ the Redeemer in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is also the tallest aluminum sculpture on the planet.

When the statue of the Virgin was installed, the ancient hill of El Panecillo, which is traditionally associated with indigenous culture, took on Catholic religious connotations, which is why during the Christmas season a giant illuminated nativity scene is set up and a traditional Christmas novena is held.

As a tourist spot, the Virgin of El Panesillo has become one of the main tourist attractions of the city of Quito, where you can get a privileged 180-degree view from the observation deck. The photos at the foot of the monument are one of the most popular souvenirs that local and foreign tourists take with them.

The Ecuadorian film Behind (2011) used the iconography of the monument for its promotional posters, although it is represented by the bare back of a woman pretending to be a virgin with her back to the south of the city, where the action takes place. Interestingly, the film Proof of Life (2000), starring Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan, uses an aerial shot of this monument at the end of the film. Also, the t-shirts of the Ecuadorian company Macueno used the sculpture of the Virgin Mary in their design.

The view from the viewpoint is truly magnificent and this was truly an amazing experience for me.

In addition to many natural resources and an astonishing variety of fruits and vegetables, Ecuador is also known for the Avenue of Volcanoes – as many as 61 volcanoes are located in this country, 12 of which, with as many as six active ones, are in the capital.

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in the Americas. It lies in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres and is divided by the Equator, after which it got its name. It borders Colombia and Peru, and on the West side it opens to the Pacific Ocean. Why is it considered that Quito is the pearl of South America in the middle of the world?

Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (The City in the Middle of the World) is a land owned by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, Ecuador. It is located about 26 km north of the center of Quito. The grounds contain the Equator Monument, which highlights the exact location of the Equator and commemorates the eighteenth-century Franco-Spanish surveying mission that determined its approximate location. It is also home to the Ethnographic Museum of Middle Earth, a museum about the ethnography of the indigenous people of Ecuador.

The 30-meter-tall monument was built between 1979 and 1982 by architect and contractor Alfredo Fabián Páez with Carlos Manchen as president of the Pichincha Provincial Council to replace an older, smaller monument built by the Government of Ecuador under the direction of geographer Luis Tufinho in 1936. The monument is made of iron and concrete and covered with hewn and polished andesite stone. The monument was erected in memory of the first geodetic mission of the French Academy of Sciences, led by Louis Godin, Pierre Bouguer and Charles Marie de La Condamine, who in 1736 conducted experiments to test the flattening of the poles and prove the shape of the Earth by comparing the distance between the meridians degrees in the equatorial zone with the second level measured in Sweden. The older monument was moved 7 km to a small town nearby called Kalakali.

The Intiñan Museum is located just outside of Quito, right next to the Mitad del Mundo monument. Most people know that the Mitada del Mundo equatorial line is a bit far. Intiñan has his marker and is closer to the right place.

In addition to the opportunity to make great photos, this museum also offers great fun with numerous experiments! This is a great place for travelers with children who want to learn something new. You can take a tour of this museum with a guide in Spanish or English and it is included in the ticket price.

Although there are only a few actual exhibits, this museum is really well done and organized. This museum focuses on the indigenous tribes of Ecuador, including the Shuar and Waorani. There are replicas of typical houses of some of the tribes… This museum also has an interesting farm of guinea pigs, which are one of the symbols of Ecuador. There is also a tomb where your guide will explain some of the rituals that come with death for the Tsáchila people.

The main attraction of the museum is the various scientific experiments that are a hands-on experience for those who visit the museum. Here you can find interesting interactive exhibits on how the Incas determined the center of the earth, plus numerous interesting science experiments such as balancing an egg on a fingernail and the effect of the Coriolis force on the earth.

You usually start your tour of the Intiñan Museum by visiting several huts that contain everything from shrunken heads to pottery. You will also find various types of flowers and plants that can be used for medicinal purposes and are also beautiful. There are depictions of everyday life as well as various works of art. The cultural exhibits only take about thirty minutes to see and are really just an introduction to the fun of actually doing the experiments.

The first experiment was to close your eyes and walk along the equator line. Strangely, almost all visitors found it difficult to keep their balance and walk in a straight line. The guide explained to us that this is because of the conflicting pulls from the northern and southern hemispheres that make you want to lean in one direction or the other. We then watched the water being poured into the sink in each of the hemispheres and although there are ways to make it spin the way you want, when nature is left to its own design, it spins in different directions. The same is true for hurricanes and typhoons where in the Northern Hemisphere things spin counterclockwise, while in the Southern Hemisphere they spin clockwise. Water going down the drain does the same thing, counterclockwise north of the equator and clockwise south of the equator.

This was followed by another experiment that I’m not sure if it works or why it works, but our guide had us put his hands down until we were at the equator and some managed to get his hands down. We then moved to the equator line and he used one finger and was able to stop the visitors taking part in the experiment from pushing his hand down. For the end, they left the most interesting experiment balancing an egg on a nail on the equator line, which is not easy, but one visitor succeeded. All the experiments are more interesting and definitely not something you can do at home, unless you happen to live on the equator. 🙂

The visit to this museum was very interesting, I learned a lot of facts about the tribes that inhabit the part of Ecuador around the Amazon and it was a really pleasant experience and a fulfilling day. I definitely recommend making time to go to the Intiñan Museum if you are visiting Quito.

Now follows the most interesting part for all lovers of mountains and an incredible view of the heart of Ecuador. If you want unusual and great photos for social networks and to share with your family and friends an unforgettable experience from Quito, then the Teleferico or “TeleferiKo” is the ideal means of transportation for you.

The Teleferico is the famous cable car in Quito and it really needs to be on the list of every tourist visiting Quito. The lower station of the cable car is located on the northwest side of the city center of Quito. If you are arriving by Uber or taxi, be sure to ask to be dropped off at “Park Vulcano”. Vulcano Park is an amusement park, but your anyone who lives in Quito will understand that you want to go to the cable car and that this is the best way to get to the cable car and enjoy the magnificent view of the city and the amazing nature.

Once you arrive at Vulcano Park, it’s a short walk uphill and a few steps to get to the main Teleferico cable car station. This cable car is positioned high and is one of the highest in the world. The ride itself starts very high, because Quito is the second largest capital city in the world, which I explained to you in a previous travelogue. When you board the cable car, you start your ride at 3,117 meters and climb to less than 4,000 meters above sea level. The cable car trip to the top takes between 10 – 15 minutes and the view is incredible.

One small explanation for all visitors, it’s not a mountain you’re going to, it’s a volcano. The Pichincha volcano last erupted in 1999 and covered the city with several layers of ash, but did not cause serious damage. In fact, the Ecuadorian province that is home to Quito is named “Pichincha” after this volcano.

Once you’re up at the top, there are a number of vantage points depending on what part of the city you want to see. The guide explained to us that on a clear day, you can see a number of mountains in the distance, including the famous Cotopaxi. It wasn’t a particularly clear day during my visit, so I wasn’t able to see much outside the city limits. If you decide to explore the top of the hill there you can see some open space, the famous swing that is at the top where you can take great photos and some small restaurants, a bunch of picnic tables with people and some animals.

Of course, I found my favorite animals for which I came to South America and took one of the most beautiful pictures from this trip – with llamas. One photography tip, we all know that these animals have a habit of spitting when they are scared which is a normal reaction, but try to take pictures with female llamas as they don’t have a habit of spitting and are much calmer and love to take pictures. Males can be aggressive and spit, so it’s best to take photos with females and talk to him in a sweet, low tone so the animals don’t get nervous. You should always take care of your position and body language when approaching animals that don’t know you because you have to gain their trust in a short time so that the photo turns out to be a nice memory from the trip.

In addition to llamas, you have the opportunity to ride horses on certain trails and enjoy the view. Since the weather was quite windy and foggy, I didn’t ride this time even though I love horses and learned to ride horses as a child. If you decide to come here, check the weather forecast and try to find a period when the weather is sunny to be able to enjoy this adventure, purely for the better experience.

Of course, you can enjoy long walks here, just dress well because the weather here is changeable. The scenery is truly magnificent and I am sure you will enjoy the natural beauty outside the city limits.

In the next post I will write about other interesting cities in Ecuador. My dear travelers, we have come to the end of this second special travelogue in the series of travelogues about Ecuador where we had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this unusual country in South America. Today’s travelogue would not be possible without the selfless help of PRO ECUADOR, the Tourism Board of the City of Quito – Visit Quito, the Hotel Patio Andaluz, as well as the airline company KLM in cooperation with local partners who allowed me to feel the spirit and beauty of Ecuadorian culture and tradition. Of course, as always, I tried my best to convey to you my impressions of this unusual experience from Ecuador.

A person is rich in soul if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad that I always manage to find partners of my projects who help me to discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way.

It is an honour for me to have the opportunity to cooperate with many companies and businessmen in the tourism sector and I would like to thank the Tourism Board of Quito – Visit Quito for this incredible adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual Ecuadorian culture in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about Ecuador and the presentation of Kita, which adorns the heart of this unusual country in South America? Have you had the chance to visit Ecuador so far?

If you have any question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write me below in the comments. Of course, as always, you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT ME page. See you at the same place in a few days, with some new story!

In the following stories from Ecuador, we will discover some other interesting sights that you should visit if your journey leads you to this far away country!

Blogger greetings from Quito,

Mr. M

This post is sponsored by the Quito Tourism Board – Visit QuitoPRO ECUADOR, Hotel Patio Andaluz, the airline KLM and other local partners. This post is my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

SHARE THIS POST

Sannino Napoli: Discover True Italian Craftsmanship with a Timeless and Unique Style…

My dear fashionistas, welcome to the first autumn fashion story from distant Ecuador on the Mr.M blog. I hope you are well and ready for a new dose of fashion. Today I will present to you an unusual luxury Italian fashion brand, which has become recognisable in Europe and the world for its Italian charm that adorns a timeless and unique style with top quality materials – Sannino Napoli.

This unusual brand that comes to us from Naples, the Italian cradle where the love of tailoring was born, this brand strives to prove that true Italian craftsmanship with true, timeless and unique style comes from the fashion heart of Italy – Naples.

The Sannino Napoli creative team creates a collection of outerwear that reflect the attitudes and priorities of the changing modern world. In a unique way, this brand combines the lifestyle of a modern man with Italian tailoring, dynamism with the essential. This family brand has been the backbone of contemporary wardrobe for almost 40 years.

Finding reliable professionals with long working experience who look to the future is something that cannot be put on the back burner. If we add to that professionalism, a huge and deep love and passion for our work, you have finally found a unique brand on the market that we can happily and safely rely on.

Drawing inspiration from the vibrant energy of autumn and the relaxed elegance of winter, Sannino Napoli‘s FW 2024/25 collection of coats and jackets showcases a range of styles that effortlessly blend fashion with functionality. From sleek and tailored leather jackets and coats to versatile and sophisticated pieces, each garment is designed to provide maximum comfort while exuding extreme elegance and refinement.

All Sannino Napoli jackets use water-repellent suede and leather. Sannino Napoli uses many techniques to make their jackets as durable as possible. The base materials are some of the best fabrics and precious leathers on the market. The Sannino Napoli team uses certified fabrics such as Loro Piana “Rain System”, “Storm System”, “Capolavoro” or “Pecora Nera”. Exceptional materials such as linen, silk, wool and cashmere blends as well as Extreme Wool and Pecora Nera offer comfort and weather protection. As always, Sannino Napoli jackets are embellished with suede to give a unique and elegant touch to any outfit.

In today’s fashion story, I present to you a Sannino Napoli jacket made of the highest quality leather in a wonderful shade of chocolate brown. This jacket model is decorated with 4 pockets, of which two pockets in the upper region in the chest area have a leather flap, while the remaining two pockets have a secure closure using zippers. The jacket is closed manually with the help of buttons on the jacket.

Sannino Napoli offers clothing tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Their MTO (Make to Order) service is designed to give you a personalized experience. When you order a Sannino Napoli garment, one of their experts will get in touch with you to discuss your requirements, including a special Sannino Napoli monogramming service – using initials as a way to personalize your purchase.

In the following fashion stories, I will show you some more models of Sannino Napoli outerwear pieces from their latest winter collection and I believe you will find the ideal piece for yourself or a loved one. If you want to know more about the Sannino Napoli brand, visit their official website and follow them on the social network Instagram.

We continue today’s fashion adventure with well-known old friends, I’m sure you remember the brand Aida Barni, which is synonymous with the perfect softness and refined Italian processing of cashmere. Last season we enjoyed the beauty of bright colors, while this year I decided to paint cold autumn days in distant Ecuador with pastel colors. In today’s fashion story I will share with you an unusual piece from their new winter collection!

Soft, light and warm cashmere items are also a good investment and practical during winter. When you give someone a cashmere sweater as a gift, it is a gift from the heart because a cashmere sweater carries with it a certain symbolism.

Aida Barni is a brand belonging to the Annapurna Group. Founded in 1978, the Annapurna Group has become one of the leading Italian and world producers of high-quality cashmere knitwear with its two fashion lines, Annapurna and Aida Barni.

OUTFIT

Leather Jacket: Sannino Napoli

Sweater: Aida Barni

WatchAppella

Trousers: WOOYOUNGMI

GlovesRestelli

Shoes: Pantanetti

Annapurna uses all the latest production techniques available on the market, from cotton looms to the latest and most advanced knitwear machines of all sizes. The current production capacity is about 120,000 pieces per year. It is important to note that the entire production cycle is performed in Italy, more precisely in the factory of the company located in the city of Prato, which is also the center of the province of the same name located in the heart of Italy – Tuscany.

“Made in Italy” is more than a production concept, but this brand has proven to be much more than the perfect cashmere sweater on a store shelf. It is love at first touch, an impression to remember.

Annapurna is a name that evokes everyone with exceptional mountain landscapes, especially the mountain range in the Himalayas where goats live with their winter fleece, hiding the soft, warm “cloak” that made them so famous.

Aida Barni is an iconic and fascinating name for a fashion line that produces high quality knitwear from the finest cashmere. Aida Barni is a symbol of a goal for a woman who decided to enter the world of business in the late seventies and reach the very top of this challenging and one of the most difficult sectors of the market.

The Aida Barni brand was created as an artistic expression of the way of life and existence, the essence of unstressed chic, refined luxury. A collection for men and women dedicated to everyone who loves timeless and elegant knitwear that encompasses true elegance in the preciousness of materials, shapes and details.

The man who wears Aida Barni knitwear does not follow trends, but creates and adapts to the needs of everyday life. The men’s collection is made up of cult clothing items of sentimental value, which evoke a healthy and environmentally friendly way of life. Customers of the Aida Barni brand love natural and fine yarns, enjoy comfort, but do not give up the elegance and sophistication of cuts and models. Aida Barni concept of men’s “sports elegance” is simple and with style, but rich in materials and inconspicuous details that make this brand cult because it represents an expression of uniqueness and special class.

The sweater you see in today’s post is from the latest Aida Barni Autumn – Winter 2024/25 collection, beige colour is made of pure cashmere with special work in the form of oversized braids. This sweater is made of the highest quality cashmere in a beautiful beige color that is ideal for the new season, which can easily be combined with all the colors in your wardrobe!

You can buy Aida Barni cashmere items in multi-brand stores and department stores across Europe and the world and through authorized online stores. When you give someone an Aida Barni piece, it is more than respect and love because you are giving a piece in which love and deep respect for art that is not worshiped every day is woven.

For all Aida Barni fans in Germany, I have discovered two men’s spots where you can find and enjoy in the beauty of Aida Barni incredible knitwear: Braun Hamburg and Mientus retail stores.

If you want to stay tuned and find out all the news that Aida Barni is preparing for us this fashion season, follow them on the social networks Facebook and Instagram.

WOOYOUNGMI is a South Korean menswear brand launched in Paris by designer Youngmi Woo in 2002. The creative duo once stated that art and architecture are the main sources of inspiration for the brand. Since the brand’s inception, WOOYOUNGMI has cemented itself as a major global contender for designer menswear. Despite being Korean, they found that the French capital would better suit their aesthetic and growing ambitions. After 22 years of continuous success, Ms. Woo and her daughter and co-creative director of the brand, Katie Chung, are constantly striving to give new fashion definitions to the WOOYOUNGMI man and achieving a good fashion and life balance. Interestingly, WOOYOUNGMI is the first menswear brand in South Korea headed by women as creative directors.

Youngmi Woo was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1959. Her father was the head of an architectural firm, which allowed her to travel a lot, bringing home international magazines, which the young Youngmi studied, becoming curious about the world outside of Korea. Together with her mother, who taught both art and piano, they did their best to use what they had to provide a creative environment for their five children. She studied fashion at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. After graduating in 1983, she was chosen to represent Korea at the Japan International Fashion Contest in Osaka where she won.

Not long after, in 1988, Ms. Youngmi Woo launched the menswear brand Solid Homme, starting with a single store. Today, there are 21 stores opened in cooperation with the Hyundai Group, as well as others with Lotte, Shinsegae and Galleria. A few years later, in 1993, Ms. Woo and her young designer friends started “New Wave”, as a platform for young designers to showcase their work. This paved the way for today’s Seoul Fashion Week. Designer Youngmi Woo founded her eponymous brand WOOYOUNGMI in 2002 in Paris. She has always wanted to start a brand that allows her the freedom to design for her vision of her ideal man.

The WOOYOUNGMI brand has been showing at Paris Menswear Week since 2003. A few years later, in mid-2011, the WOOYOUNGMI brand became an official member of La Chambre Sindicale de la Mode Masculine. Also in the same year, the brand collaborated with London department store Selfridges on the “My Coat, My Gift” event, where five young London creatives were asked to redesign the best-selling coat no. 51. The resulting designs were exhibited in a special pop-up at Selfridges, with a percentage of the coat’s sales during the event being donated to charity.

The following year, in 2012, under the artistic direction of daughter Katie Chung, WOOYOUNGMIbegan collaborating with artists to create their advertising campaigns. Artists who participated in this project, to name a few, are sculptor Guerra de la Paz and Korean artist Osang Gwon with her unique blend of sculpture and photography, and painter Clemens Krauss. Not long after, in 2014, WOOYOUNGMI launched a special capsule collection with the online shopping platform Mr Porter. In September of the same year, Youngmi Woo was named one of the 500 people shaping the global fashion industry by Business of Fashion in its “BoF 500”. Katie Chung, her daughter, was named joint creative director in 2014 and presented her first collection in June 2014 as part of the Spring-Summer 2015 collection.

Since its launch, the brand has broken into the Western market with high-end retailers such as Selfridges in London and Bon Marche in Paris, WOOYOUNGMI has established itself as a leading Korean men’s brand in Europe.

In today’s fashion story, you have the opportunity to see an interesting fashion piece from the WOOYOUNGMI collection for FW 2024/25. High-waist pants are a special piece that I had the opportunity to see this fall season, I have not had the opportunity to try this model of trousers with many striking details. Apart from the model, the material and the texture of the material itself is special, the pants are made of a combination of wool and cashmere, the material is extremely light and it is important to point out that it is a great advantage that the pants do not wrinkle, so you don’t need to worry about ironing.

If you want to stay updated and find out what new products WOOYOUNGMI has prepared for us in the new FW24/25 fashion season, follow this incredible fashion house on Facebook and Instagram.

Today’s fashion adventure continues with new friends of the Mr.M blog, an exclusive Swiss watch brand that I’m sure you’ll love at first sight – Appella! Usually when people think about the precision work and excellence of watches, they would often imagine some Swiss watch brand. The centuries-old tradition of Helvetic watchmaking has made “Made in Swiss” synonymous with the highest quality. Born from this tradition, the Appella brand embodies the spirit of craftsmanship and is proud to bear the mark of Swiss production.

The roots of the Appella brand go back to the first half of the 20th century, when the Swiss watchmaker Paul Glocker took his first steps in running the Ebossa group. He was not only a skilled craftsman, but also a successful businessman, when he founded the Appella watch brand in 1943.

Mr. Glocker, the founder of Appella, derived his success from the production of Roskopf watch movements at his Ebossa factory, which at the time were considered the pinnacle of Swiss craftsmanship. Inspired by a revolutionary mechanical design and manufacturing process, Mr. Glocker ensured that Appella’s vision contained the same qualities of excellence. The Appella brand continues to draw from its rich history. The legacy of the extraordinary watchmakers who created the brand lives on through tradition as they continue to inspire the makers and designers of Appella watches today.

The new owner of the Appella brand, ADRIATICA PR & A Watch Sagl is a company with a rich background and a long tradition in the world of watchmaking. Under the supervision of ADRIATICA PR & A Vatch Sagl, customers of the Appella brand worldwide will receive the best experience worthy of the SWISS MADE guarantee. If one were to ask what comes to mind when you think of Swiss watches, many would associate them with reliability, high quality, elegance and traditional style. The Adriatica brand embodies these qualities and is universally appreciated for them. The same level of reliability and elegance is represented by the Appella watch brand.

For a long time, these two brands were separate, but coexisted in the same space. Buyers looking for Swiss watches with a true Helvetian spirit would often choose between the Adriatica and Appella watch brands. Creativity can often be driven by competition, but it is the spirit of collaboration that can create the best results. This vision inspired Adriatic’s owners who saw the potential that the Appella brand could bring. With their customers at heart, Adriatica and Appella have joined forces to make the ADRIATICA PR & A Watch Sagl offer complete, unique and 100% made in Switzerland.

Today, the Appella watch brand is being reborn. The watches of this brand can once again win the hearts of customers as Appella joins the family of esteemed watches under the leadership of the ADRIATICA PR & A Watch Sagl Group, whose watches are appreciated and sought after all over the world. Appella has a clear path to establish a relationship with customers based on trust. It is built on a long history, Swiss quality and outstanding presentation. Appella watches can be recognized by the unison of traditional style and diamond finish.

The diamond finish is the core of Appella brand. Diamonds are the metaphorical signature on the watch that confirms that the watch is on the wrist of an Appella person. Those jewels enhance the unique style and make it even grander, grander, simply perfect. Today, the Appella brand combines classic Swiss quality and modern design. Appella watches guarantee precision work for many years and a sophisticated look that will not go unnoticed.

The sapphire glass that protects the dial of each part ensures the longevity of Appella products. The exceptional scratch resistance and flawless transparency of the glass reveal the exceptional beauty of the watch. This charming look can be enhanced in a women’s collection, when the highest quality diamonds are embedded in the dial or case of the watch. Reaching for its rich history, and preserving the elegance of the design and the finesse of the pieces, Appella is a product that can raise and enhance the image of customers around the world.

The watch you can see on my wrist today is the latest Appella watch model from their special collection of mechanical watches. The diameter of the case is 41 mm and the case itself is very thin and elegant. The case is made of stainless steel in the color of yellow gold. The dial has a classic design that is decorated with a skeleton, a moment that makes this watch special.

Technical Information:

Case Diameter: 41 mm

Case Thickness:  7 mm

Case Material: Stainless steel

Water Resistance: 3 ATM (30m)

Glass: Anti Reflective Sapphire Glass

Movement: ETA 7001 Swiss Made

Strap: Leather Strap With Butterfly Buckle

Price: 1800 CHF (approx. 1950 Euros)

In the rich offer of the Appella brand, you can also view other models of watches for men and women. If you want to stay updated and find out what new watch models the watch brand Appella has prepared for us this season, follow them on the social networks Facebook and Instagram.

There is no person in the world who cannot hide the joy when you feel the smell of the new Italian leather. Today, we are once again hanging out with the Italian family workshop for handmade Restelli gloves, a place where the art, tradition and beauty of handicrafts meet every day, which is the true definition of the Italian style and way of life in general.

Making gloves is not only a job but also a real art. Passion, emotions, tradition and knowledge have been passed on to the third generation after 100 years! Raffaella Restelli has fully accepted the challenges of the new fashion era in which the market and the way of selling have changed with deep respect and belief in tradition and a love for lasting masterpieces!

In today’s post, you had the opportunity to see Restelli gloves made of special peccary leather. These luxury leather gloves are made of the highest quality leather. The lining of these gloves is made of cashmere. Today I decided to take a walk in my unusual cognac-colored gloves, which were extremely warm and a real fashion accessory for this unexpected “winter spring” in Germany!

Restelli gloves are not valued with money, but with tradition and history full of love and patience that are priceless.

Anyone who has followed my blog for a long time knows that I always try to pay special attention to details. So this time I decided to show you a novelty that has almost arrived in my shoe closet. Pantanetti, a timeless luxury style born in Italy, this luxury brand continues to express “Made in Italy” through craftsmanship, craftsmanship and the fusion of premium materials.

Pantanetti is for men who appreciate true style and elegance. Tradition and innovation merge into a brand with deep roots, but always in step with the times. The Pantanetti brand uses technology to keep its history alive and to satisfy every desire of its customers. Pantenetti footwear models from all past and present collections are organized in a digitized archive, linked to the production system, due to this incredible possibility, footwear models from past seasons can be produced and reworked, even in individual quantities and different colors.

Pantanetti footwear brand has women’s and men’s collections, they properly reflect the company’s duality. Models start from traditional forms and are contaminated with new trends, clothes and designer items. Pantanetti shoes have a unique identity and provide their owner with a perfect fit and impeccable softness and comfort, which are extremely important features that should adorn every shoe. The Pantanetti team strives to maintain tradition and follow the latest innovations that merge with a brand with deep roots, but always in step with the times.

Pantanetti‘s creative team uses technology to keep its history alive and to satisfy every desire of its customers. In the heart of Milan’s fashion district in the center of Italian fashion, there is a space where you can enjoy the beauty of the Pantanetti world of footwear. It is a place to deepen your philosophy, get to know products and processes and nurture authentic and lasting relationships, even in the Pantanetti showroom there is a creative atmosphere that characterizes the brand: colors, style and emotions are the heart of every meeting.

In today’s fashion story, I present to you Pantanetti winter shoes from the latest Fall-Winter collection for 2024/25. year in gentle brown tones. I haven’t had the chance to wear this shoe model before, but I’m glad to step into the new fashion season with Pantanetti and it will be a great honor and pleasure to show you how I styled this shoe model with some other outfits.

Crafted from the finest materials by Italian artisans, the shoes enrich any outfit. The Pantanetti brand offers shoes for everyday casual elegant options, while moccasins, elegant shoes and boots complete the wear of pure elegance.

If you want to stay updated and find out what pieces the Pantanetti brand has in its offer, visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

My dear fashionistas, we have come to the end of the first autumn fashion story from Ecuador, where together we discovered the beauty and splendor of sports timeless elegance and prestige with the famous Italian fashion house Sannino Napoli, the beauty of the special Swiss watch brand with a long tradition, Appella, as well as the unique the quality of Italian craftsmanship with the iconic leather goods brand Restelli, as well as the beauty of cashmere craftsmanship and timeless Italian elegance with Aida Barni, the beauty and brilliance of sporty urban elegance with the luxury South Korean fashion house WOOYOUNGMI, as well as the unique quality of Italian craftsmanship with the iconic footwear brand Pantanetti, partners with for whom fashion stories are a real adventure. I sincerely hope you got some inspiration for your ideal fall outfit!

See you soon and continue our fashion adventures on the Mr.M blog! How did you like my outfit today? I really tried my best to prepare today’s post with lots of love and I hope you like it!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media channels, which you can find on the CONTACT page. See you soon, stay tuned!

With Love from Quito,
Mr.M

This post is sponsored by Sannino NapoliAida BarniWOOYOUNGMIAppellaRestelli and Pantanetti brands. This post is my personal and honest review of their products.

SHARE THIS POST

Letters from Ecuador: Quito, A City Coloured by Baroque Art and Architecture…

My dear travelers and lovers of unusual journeys, welcome to the new series of travelogues on the Mr.M blog. The end of October will be dedicated to an unusual country in the heart of South America, a country known for the best cocoa, bananas and coffee – Ecuador. At the very beginning of this series of travelogues, I would like to thank PRO ECUADOR, the tourism board of Quito – Visit Quito, the Dutch national airline KLM, as well as other partners who selflessly supported my adventure in South America. With their help, travelogues from Ecuador and fashion stories were created that you will have the opportunity to read this November and December, and I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the new adventure.

How to get to Ecuador? The best and fastest way to get to Quito is via Amsterdam with KLM. KLM Group, founded in 2004, consists of three independent airlines Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Transavia. The KLM group has a loyalty program FLYING BLUE that is extremely important for all frequent travelers of KLM and Air France airlines. When you become a member of this loyalty program and start collecting miles every time you fly with Air France and KLM or members of the Sky Team alliance, you have the opportunity to achieve numerous benefits, and as your status increases, your benefits increase with it. Membership is completely free, and you can spend the miles you earn as money and use them to pay for additional services on the flight, on the ground, the services of numerous partners such as hotels and car rental agencies, but also the airline tickets themselves, for more information about this program loyalty, read on the LINK.

Traveling in Premium Comfort economy class is for those travelers who are looking for a little more freedom and choice, comfort and convenience. Every trip in KLM Premium Comfort class is special and in terms of service quality you are between standard economy class and business class, which is excellent for the value of the money invested because the price of a ticket in Premium Comfort class is not too expensive compared to a ticket in standard economy class, but you get significant benefits that can mean more space in a separate cabin on intercontinental flights.

The Republic of Ecuador is a country in the northwest of South America, bordering Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It also includes the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers west of the mainland. The capital of the country is Quito, and the largest city is Guayaquil.

The territories of modern Ecuador were once home to various indigenous peoples who were gradually incorporated into the Inca Empire during the 15th century. The territory was colonized by the Spanish Empire during the 16th century, achieving independence in 1820 as part of Greater Colombia, from which it emerged as a sovereign state in 1830. The legacy of both empires is reflected in Ecuador’s ethnically diverse population, with the majority of its 17.8 million people being mestizos, followed by large minorities of European, Native American, African and Asian descent. Spanish is the official language spoken by the majority of the population, although 13 native languages ​​are also recognised, including Quechua and Shuar.

Municipal Palace on Plaza Grande

Quito, the city’s formal official name is San Francisco de Quito, is the capital of Ecuador, with an estimated population of nearly 3 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of Pichincha Province. Quito is located in a valley on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes.

The city is located at an altitude of 2,850 m, making it the highest or second highest capital city in the world. This different position is because Bolivia is a country with multiple capitals, if La Paz is considered the national capital of Bolivia, it is at the top of the list of tallest capitals, but if Sucre is listed as the capital, then it is the second tallest, behind Quito.

Quito is the political and cultural center of Ecuador as the city is home to the country’s main governmental, administrative and cultural institutions. It is also one of the country’s two main industrial centers – the port city of Guayaquil being the other.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito

The date of its first settlement is unknown, but archaeological evidence suggests that it was first inhabited by a sedentary population between 4400 and 1600 BC. In the late fifteenth century, the Inca emperor Huayna Capac defeated the Quitos, the original inhabitants of the region, and incorporated Quito into the Inca Empire, designating it as the capital of the northern region of the Inca Empire. The Spanish conquest of the city in 1534 is the official year most commonly cited as the founding of the city, making Quito the oldest capital in South America.

The historic part of the city of Quito is among the largest and best preserved in America. It is interesting that in 1978, Quito and Krakow were the first places of world cultural heritage declared by UNESCO. Quito is the capital city closest to the equator, which passes through the northern part of the metropolitan area in the parish of San Antonio.

Palacio de Carondelet (Presidential Palace in the heart of Quito’s Old Town)

The oldest traces of human presence in Quito were excavated by the American archaeologist Robert Bell in 1960, on the slopes of the Ilalo volcano, which is located between the eastern valleys of Los Chilos and Tumbaco. Hunter-gatherers left obsidian glass tools, dated to 8000 BC. This archaeological site, called EI Inga, was brought to Robert Bell’s attention by Allen Grafham. As a geologist in Ecuador, Graffham pursued an amateur interest in archaeology. He made surface collections at the site during 1956. The discovery of projectile points, especially specimens with basal grooves, piqued his interest, and he visited the site several times to collect surface material. Grafham’s previous interest in Paleoindian remains, and his experience with early man-made materials in Kansas and Nebraska in the central plains of the United States, led him to believe that the site was an important discovery.

Another important trace of human habitation was found in the present area of ​​Kotokolao (1500 BC), northwest of Quito. The prehistoric village spread over 26 hectares in an area irrigated by many streams. Near the ancient rectangular houses there are burials with pottery and stone offerings. The Cotocollao people mined and exported obsidian to the coastal region.

The priest Juan de Velasco wrote about the kingdom of Quito. Its source was a lost work by Marcos de Niza, the existence of which has not been confirmed. His account states that another people, known as the Cara or Schiris, came from the coast and took over the entire region by 890 AD. He continues that this kingdom lasted until the Incas took over the territory in the 15th century. However, archaeological evidence does not indicate unity among the various ethnic groups in the region. The local Kuitu or Quillaco tribe is distinguished by its art and architecture from its neighbors.

By the 20th century, many prominent historians who had begun more academic studies doubted the account of the Kitu-Kara kingdom. They think it was a legendary pre-Hispanic depiction of the highlands.

These days, most historians deny the existence of the kingdom of Quito in favor of a more fragmented region. Cuitu ruled Quito at the time of the Inca invasion by Topa Inca Yupanqui under his father’s rule. At the beginning of the 21st century, there were new spectacular discoveries of tombs 20 meters deep in the La Florida neighborhood of Quito. Dating back to 800 AD, they provide evidence of the high quality of craftsmanship among the Kuitu, as well as the elaborate and complex character of their funerary rites. In 2010, the Museo de Sitio La Florida was opened to preserve some of the artifacts from the tombs and explain this complex culture.

The Inca uprising against the Spanish continued during 1534, Conquistador Diego de Almagro founded Santiago de Quito on August 15, 1534, renamed San Francisco de Quito on August 28, 1534. The city was later re-founded in its current location on December 6, 1534 by 204 settlers led by Sebastian de Benalcazar, who captured the Ruminhahui leader, effectively ending any organized resistance. Ruminhahui was executed on January 10, 1535.

On March 28, 1541, Quito was declared a city. Further, on February 23, 1556, it received the title of Mui Noble y Mui Leal Ciudad de San Francisco de Cuito (“The Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francisco of Quito”), marking the beginning of its next phase of urban development. In 1563, Quito became the seat of the Real Audiencia (administrative district) of Spain. It was classified as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1717, after which the Audiencia was part of the new Viceroyalty of New Granada. Under both viceroyalties, the district was administered from Quito.

The Spanish established Roman Catholicism in Quito. The first church (El Belen) was built before the city was officially founded. In January 1535, a monastery was built in San Francisco, the first of about 20 churches and monasteries built during the colonial period. The Spanish converted the indigenous population to Christianity and used them as labor for construction.

Basilica of San Francisco

It is interesting that in 1743, after almost 210 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city with about 10,000 inhabitants. Quito briefly declared its de facto independence from Spain between 1765 and 1766 during the Quito Rebellion. On August 10, 1809, the movement to win independence from Spain was relaunched in Quito. On that date, a government plan was presented, appointing Juan Pio Montufar as president and prominent pro-independence figures in other government positions.

This initial movement was defeated on August 2, 1810, when colonial troops arrived from Lima, Peru and killed the leaders of the uprising and about 200 other settlers. The chain of conflicts reached its peak on May 24, 1822, when Antonio José de de Sucre, under the command of Simón Bolívar, led troops into the battle of Pichincha, on the slopes of the volcano. Their victory established the independence of Quito and the surrounding areas.

Quito is the largest city in terms of contribution to the national GDP and the largest in terms of income per capita. The largest primary industries in Quito include textiles, metals and agriculture, with the main export crops being coffee, sugar, cocoa, rice, bananas and palm oil. The headquarters and regional offices of many national and international financial institutions, oil corporations and international businesses are also located in Quito, making it a world-class business city.

In Ecuador, cantons are divided into parishes, so named because they were originally used by the Catholic Church, but with the secularization and liberalization of the Ecuadorian state, political parishes were separated from those used by the church. Parishes are called city parishes if they are located within the boundaries of the seat (capital city) of the corresponding canton, and rural parishes if they are outside those boundaries. Within Quito (in the city itself), the division into urban parishes depends on the organizations that use these parishes (eg municipality, electoral tribunals, postal service, Ecuadorian Bureau of Statistics). City parishes of different types are not necessarily the same, nor the same in number or name.

Since 2008, the municipality of Quito has divided the city into 32 urban parishes. These parishes, which the municipality uses for administrative purposes, are also known as cabildos since 2001. Since the time of the Metropolitan District of Quito, parishes of this type have also been grouped into larger divisions known as municipal zones.

Church of La Compañía de Jesús

Quito has the largest, least altered and best preserved historic center in the Americas. This center, together with the historic center of Krakow in Poland, was the first to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on September 18, 1978. The historic center of Quito is located south of the current center of the capital, on an area of ​​320 ha (790 hectares) and is one of the most important historical areas in Latin America. There are around 130 monumental buildings (hosting a variety of fine art and sculpture, mostly religiously inspired, in a multi-layered range of schools and styles) and 5,000 objects registered in the municipal heritage inventory.

What are the sights of Quito?

Palacio de Carondelet is the seat of the Government of the Republic of Ecuador, located in the historic center of Quito. The palace overlooks the bustling public space known as Independence Square or Plaza Grande (the colonial name), along with the Archbishop’s Palace, the Municipal Palace, the Plaza Grande Hotel and the Metropolitan Cathedral. During the Republican era, almost all presidents (constitutional, intern, and dictator) ruled from Carondelet Palace. The presidential residence is located on the third level of the palace, along with administrative offices.

The monumental Basilica del Voto Nacional is the most significant neo-Gothic building in Ecuador and one of the most representative on the American continent. It used to be the largest in the New World.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Kita is one of the greatest religious symbols of spiritual value for the Catholic community in the city. The construction of this church began in 1535, seventeen years after the Diocese of Quito was created in 1545. The church building was completed in 1799, during the administration of the president of the Real Audiencia, Baron Hector de Carondelet.

One of the biggest events that happened in this cathedral was the murder of Bishop Quito, José Ignacio Checo y Barba, who was poisoned with strychnine dissolved in consecrated wine during the Good Friday Mass on March 30, 1877. The cathedral is also the burial place of the remains of Grand Marshal Antonio José de Sucre and several presidents of the Republic, as well as bishops and priests who died in the diocese. The cathedral is located on the south side of Plaza de La Independencia.

The construction of the La Compania church began in 1605. The construction lasted 160 years. The construction of the facade was completed in 1765. This was done by the Indians who carefully shaped the stones to build the facade in an ornate baroque style, which is one of the best examples of this art in America.

The Basilica of San Francisco is the largest of the existing architectural units in the historic centers of cities in Latin America. The construction of the church began in 1550, on the land next to the square where the Indians traded products.

In colonial times, the church of El Sagrario was one of the greatest architectural wonders of Quito. The construction is in the Italian Renaissance style and was built at the end of the 17th century. It has a screen that supports his sculptures and decorations. This structure was built by Bernardo de Legarda. Its central arch leads to a dome decorated with frescoes of biblical scenes with archangels.

Although they arrived in Quito in 1541, the Dominicans began to build their own temple in 1580 – the Church of Santo Domingo, using the plans of Francisco Becerra, and under his direction. The works were completed in the first half of the 17th century. Inside the church there are valuable buildings, such as the neo-Gothic main altar. This was set up by the Italian Dominicans in the late 19th century. On the roof of the Mudejar-style church are paintings of martyrs of the Order of Saint Dominic. The roof of the nave is supported on a pair and joint frame, decorated internally with ornaments. In the museum on the north side of the lower cloister, there are wonderful pieces by great sculptors from Quito, such as Saint Dominic de Guzmán Father Carlos, Saint John of God of Caspicare and Saint Thomas Aquinas of Legarda. Another Baroque masterpiece that still stands today is the Chapel of Nuestra Senora del Rosario, a recognizable architectural icon of Quito. This chapel was built next to the church. The largest brotherhood in the city of Quito was founded in this chapel.

I highly recommend you explore the Old Town of Quito with its wonderful mix of colonial and republican/independent architecture with quaint squares and an astonishing number of churches. If you happen to be there during Christmas or Easter, you will be amazed at the number of events, masses and processions that cause crowds. In this part of the city you will find numerous craft shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Quito Free Walking Tour is the only free walking tour that tailors its tours to what you want to see and has small groups so you don’t have to struggle to listen to the guide, they can focus the tour on what you want to see and learn about. it’s also easy to book,
A recommended walking tour that could enhance your vision of the historic center, start your adventure in Calle Maldonado.

There you will have an impressive view of what used to be the “Jerusalem” ravine, which is located between Panecil and the core. Walk north past the trolleybus stop and descend a narrow staircase that leads you to the pre-Columbian street of La Ronda. Stroll along picturesque La Ronda until you reach Av. 24 de Maio. This boulevard was built on top of this part of the Jerusalem Ravine to connect the two sides of the city.

At Garcia Moreno Street, turn north and you’ll reach the Museo de la Ciudad, which provides an easy and interactive history of Quito. Then walk down Garcia Moreno street to Sucre, which is a pedestrian street. La Compania is on the corner and if you take Sucre Street you will reach San Francisco. If you continue on Garcia Moreno you will reach the Main (Independence) Square. If you are going to San Francisco, then walk to La Merced and down to Main Square. This itinerary follows a chronological and logical order of locations. Most people do it backwards, making La Ronda and the Museo de la Ciudad seem like distant points where you’re usually worn out by the time you get there. Anyway, the History Center is so huge that you need more than one visit to see it all. The recommended walk gives you a good overview if you are short on time or want to see as much as possible on your first day.

In the capital of Ecuador, there are many artisans working on unique crafts. These include guitar makers, candle makers, tanners and tanners, silversmiths, ceramicists and wood carvers. You can find them at their workshops, published in the Visitors Bureau guide.

There are also several fair trade shops in Quito that promise to pay artisans fairly for their products. The ones in Tianguez (Plaza San Francisco), El Quinde (Plaza Grande) and Museo Mindalae are all very good.

There are many malls in Quito such as Cuicentro, Mall el Jardin, CCI, CC. El Bosque, Megamaki, Ventura Mall, Ciudad Comercial el Recreo, San Luis, etc. and every street corner has several small “Mom and Pop” shops or stalls selling just a few items. If your shopping list is very long, you can spend all day looking for stores that have the items on your list.

There are many casual clothing stores such as MNG, Benetton, Lacoste, Guess, Fossil, Bohno, Diesel, NrgiBlast or Pura+. So if you need some items, Quito is actually a very good place to buy nice clothes at relatively low prices.

The indigenous peoples of Ecuador include many highly skilled weavers. Almost everyone who goes to Ecuador sooner or later buys a sweater, scarf or tapestry. In Quito, vendors are located along the sidewalks of tourist areas. You should also consider a direct trip to some of the craft markets, such as the famous one in Otavalo. If you don’t have time for Otavalo, you can find almost the same equipment at Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal on Jorge Washington and Juan Leon Mera in the Mariscal District. Mariscal is packed with dozens of souvenir, craft and t-shirt shops that make gift shopping easy.

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, better known as el San Francisco, is a Catholic basilica located in the heart of the historic center of Quito. It is the oldest and most important religious building in Ecuador. The building is the largest architectural complex in the historical centers of the whole of South America, and for this reason it was known as “El Escorial of the New World”. San Francisco is considered a jewel of continental architecture because of the mix of different styles combined over more than 150 years of construction. San Francisco is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “The City of Quito”.

Thirteen monasteries (of which six are large), three temples, a large Atrium, which added about 40,000 square meters of construction, were built on its three and a half hectares of land. Numerous activities are currently carried out there: monastic and religious, public care in the fields of health, communication, education and other popular activities that keep the building active.

Inside the church there are more than 3,500 pieces of colonial art, multiple artistic manifestations and different techniques, especially those corresponding to the Quito Colonial School of Art, which was born in this very place. It also has a Franciscan library, described in the 17th century as the best in the Viceroyalty of Peru.

The complex is preceded by the Plaza de San Francisco, which for years supplied the city with water from its central fountain, and which functioned as a popular market, as a space for military and political concentrations, as well as a meeting place and social recreation. The concave-convex staircase connecting the square with the Atrium, which highlights the Mannerist-Baroque facade of the main building, is considered to be of great architectural importance in colonial America.

In pre-Columbian Quito, the current land of the basilica and monastery of San Francisco was occupied by the royal palace of the Inca Huaina Capac, before the advance of the armies commanded by the Spaniards from the south and the impossibility of defending the city, the autochthonous general Ruminhahui ordered its complete destruction. In the city fire, the palace was destroyed and buried under a huge amount of rubble and garbage. One of Ruminhahui’s soldiers was the great-grandfather of a native of Kantunja, who, as an eyewitness to the event, had a lot of knowledge about what was buried there. Construction of San Francisco’s basilica and convent began around 1537, just three years after the Spanish founding of the city, with the completion of a temporary church that remained until 1550, when construction began on the current building and which was completed around 1680. Although the building was officially opened in 1705.

With the support of the European Franciscan Congregation, the Ghent clerics Jodoko Ricke and Pedro Gossel, who were relatives of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who arrived in the city two years after its founding, managed to acquire some plots on the southwest side of the Plaça Maior de Quito, in the same place where once were the military headquarters of the leaders of the imperial troops: Chalcuchimac and Kuizkuiz. That is, the place had enormous historical and strategic importance for the natives whom the Franciscans wanted to evangelize. The thesis of the site as a center of the Inca and Caranqui culture was confirmed after the archaeological studies carried out in the basilica on the occasion of its restoration, between 1983 and 1990, in which significant ceramic pieces belonging to those of the pre-Columbian culture (and also the Panzalea) were found below nave, monastery, orchard, atrium and square.

The cabildo of the recently created city of San Francisco de Quito, based on the physical layout of the city, originally assigned the Franciscans an area of ​​land equivalent to two blocks, each 220 feet in length. However, in 1538, after successive rulings by the same Cabildo, an area of ​​more than three hectares was reached. In 1533, its borders, both to the north and to the south, coincided with those of the Plaza de San Francisco, so that the plot faced the Plaza, not crossing any of its sides (in the west it should reach the coristado).

When in 1537 Friar Jodoco Ricke asked the Cabildo to hand over, on the one hand, some land for the natives of Yanacun who served the basilica and, on the other hand, another piece of land for her, which was taken from the coristado to the current Calle Imbabura. In 1538, the plot was extended to the north; that is, from the Main Cloister to the current subordinate units of the police; On this occasion, Fr. Pedro Gossel asked “the gentlemen of the Cabildo to give him a piece of land for a garden to put in a house in San Francisco because it makes a turn of the earth and because it goes straight.” An east-to-west street, which kept the rhythm of the checkerboard grid and was an extension of the current Calle Sucre, divided the monastery from the garden; this street had to be definitively closed in the middle of the 17th century, due to the construction of two cloisters that bordered the main monastery.

If a concrete analysis of its architectural environment is carried out, it will be noticed that the classic typology of medieval monasteries has survived in San Francisco. At the same time, the spatial arrangement started from the church, its guiding axis, and the monastery galleries opened from there, where the cells, dining room, chapter house, basement and vestibule were normally arranged. The final form was a quadrangular courtyard, with its four galleries; contributing, in the main, to name their gallery: gallery of chapters, gallery of refectory, gallery of converts, gallery of mandates.

The church, in the case of San Francisco, is also the center of that order. Starting from it, four monastery galleries were designed, all of the same size, in which at least two elements of medieval monasteries have been preserved: the dining room and the bedroom. However, no gallery was assigned to the chapter, which never existed in San Francisco. In reality, it is not possible to know exactly which other rooms were arranged around the four cloister bays and where they were located, and according to Fr. Fernando de Cozar, later (1647) the room was located in the monastery. Profundisa, dining room, library next to art and theology classroom, gate and small church with sacristy. The neighboring gallery of the church, the mandate, had to have reading benches in accordance with the ancient norms of spatial organization.

The original plans of the basilica underwent various changes during the almost 150 years of its construction. Many times these changes were “violent and erratic” due to earthquake damage and the evolution of art and culture to finally reach the almost eclectic form we know today; This is why San Francisco is one of the most important buildings of colonial Spanish American architecture.

The facade of the basilica reflects the early presence, and for the first time in South America, of Mannerist elements, which made it a point of reference for this style on the continent. The Renaissance austerity and external mannerism contrast with the interior decoration of the church, in which Mudejar and Baroque styles are mixed with gold leaf to give an unusual shine.

In its three naves, San Francisco reveals Mudejar artesonado ceilings, richly decorated altarpieces and columns of various styles. In the chancel, the Mudejar decoration, original from the end of the 16th century, remained intact, as the central nave collapsed in an earthquake and was replaced by a Baroque coffered ceiling in 1770. Mudejar ceilings at the ends, Baroque in the central nave, altarpieces full of paintings, mascarons and cherubs watching in the center of the Great Altar.

The complex is completed by a monastery in which the architectural beauty of the main monastery stands out, arranged around a huge courtyard, in two superior galleries.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito is a Catholic cathedral in Quito. Located on the southwest side of the Plaza de la Independencia (La Plaza Grande), it (and its previous building) served as the seat of the Diocese of Quito from 1545 to 1848 when it was elevated to an archdiocese. In 1995, it was elevated to the Cathedral of Ecuador, making it the tallest Catholic church in the country.

Shortly after the founding of the city of San Francisco de Quito (December 6, 1534), the entire southern side of the future Plaza Grande was given to the church. The first temporary building, erected in the same year by Father Juan Rodríguez, the first pastor of the new city, was made of adobe with a wooden frame and a thatched roof. With the founding of the parish of Quito (January 1545), Bishop García Díaz Arias was appointed, who arrived in the city on April 13 of the following year, together with Vicar General Pedro Rodríguez de Aguayo, and planned to build a more eminent edifice.

Construction began in 1535 and became a cathedral with the creation of the Diocese of Quito in 1545. From 1562 to 1565, the building rose from its limestone foundations under the leadership of the current Archdeacon Rodríguez de Aguay, who served as Acting Bishop, Díaz Arias died. The architect was Antonio Garcia. The construction was made of stone and the ming system (a local traditional practice of pulling, carving and building together) was used. Turning its side towards the Plaza, the Church helped define its size and shape. The anomaly of the main entrance not opening onto the Plaza is explained by the presence of a deep gorge (la quebrada de Sanguna or Zanguna) that was present at the time of construction, which prevented the building from extending backwards (towards the southwest). The location next to the ravine was chosen for defensive purposes. The ravine itself was flooded by the Iglesia de El Sagrario in the 17th century. The cathedral was consecrated by the second bishop of Quito, Fray Pedro de la Peña in 1572.

Gangotena Palace (Casa Gangotena, the only 5* hotel in the old part of Quito)

The cathedral is a white painted monumental church with one tall bell tower moved to the right of the main entrance. Built on a plan with three longitudinal naves surmounted by semi-ogival arches on square columns, the basic spatial structure of the cathedral is typical of the 16th century. Based on the interior features – particularly the details of the columns, arches and the carved and coffered ceiling – some experts argue that the cathedral should be characterized as Gothic-Mudejar style. It has Gothic features in the pointed arches of its naves, as well as in the ambulatory surrounding the presbytery.

The National Museum of Ecuador, also known by the acronym MuNa, is the national museum of the Republic of Ecuador, which was founded by the Central Bank of Ecuador in 1969, and since 2010 has been in charge of the Technical Sub-Secretariat for Social Memory of the Ministry of Culture and Culture. Heritage of Ecuador. The museum is located in the city of Quito, inside the buildings of the House of Ecuadorian Culture. Around 1927, during the government of Dr. Isidro Ayora, the American Kemmerer economic mission arrived in the country, which emphasized the importance of creating a national bank in charge of Ecuador’s economic and monetary policy.

The basis of the collections of the National Museum are the goods acquired in 1960 from the Swiss Max Konanz. Since 1965, the formation of art collections begins, recovering from scholars and private collectors, such as Luis Felipe Borja, Luis Cordero Dávila, Wilhelm Baum, Victor Mena Camanjo and others. It has the most incredible works of colonial and republican art, with the existence of 5,261 works of sculpture, painting, engraving, furniture, textiles, gold and jewelry, porcelain, crystal and more colonial and republican decorative art that seeks to affirm the mestizo identity. countries, an incomparable fruit of European-American syncretism.

MUNA-K is considered the largest museum institution in the country, as it maintains the largest collection of ancestral goods, many paintings by different artists and eras, in addition to vessels and ceremonial figures from different periods of Ecuadorian history. The basis of the collections of the National Museum are the goods acquired in 1960 from the Swiss Max Konanz. Since 1965, the formation of art collections begins, recovering from scholars and private collectors, such as Luis Felipe Borja, Luis Cordero Dávila, Wilhelm Baum, Victor Mena Camanjo and others. It has the most incredible works of colonial and republican art, with the existence of 5,261 works of sculpture, painting, engraving, furniture, textiles, gold and jewelry, porcelain, crystal and more colonial and republican decorative art that seeks to affirm the mestizo identity. countries, an incomparable fruit of European-American syncretism.

At the same time, modern and contemporary art collections are organized that promote the acquisition of the most selected production of Ecuadorian plastic artists, with about 800 works of sculpture, paintings, drawings, engravings, photographs, etc., which allows to visualize permanently the dynamics of the national creator. For this purpose, the National Plastic Competition was organized three years in a row (1977, 1978 and 1979), which helped promote and introduce new artistic values. The collection includes some examples of international art, highlighting a major exhibition donated by the master Estuardo Maldonado.

Since 1976, the formation of ethnographic collections that support anthropological research of aboriginal communities of different ethnic groups in Ecuador began, with about 300 objects of daily use, festive-ceremonial, magical-religious, recreational, work, funerary, etc. which allowed the appreciation of social groups in the country, permanent guardians of ancestral traditions and who strengthen in Ecuador its greater multi-ethnic and multicultural richness. In order to spread this heritage, the Institution, as a trust, handed over the collections to the Pichincha Provincial Council and the museological assembly of the Ethnographic Museum of the Middle World. Today it has an Ethnographic Museum, in the city of Cuenca.

In the next post, I will write about other interesting places that you can visit in the capital of Ecuador. My dear adventurers, we have come to the end of this first special travelogue in the series of travelogues about Ecuador where we had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this unusual country in South America. Today’s travelogue would not be possible without the selfless help of PRO ECUADOR, Visit Quito, the airline company KLM in cooperation with local partners who allowed me to feel the spirit and beauty of Ecuadorian culture and tradition. Of course, as always, I tried my best to convey to you my impressions of this unusual experience from Ecuador.

A person is rich in soul if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad that I always manage to find partners of my projects who help me to discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way.

It is an honor for me to have the opportunity to cooperate with many companies and businessmen in the tourism sector and I would like to thank the Tourism Board of Quito – Visit Quito for this incredible adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual Ecuadorian culture in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about Ecuador and the presentation of Kita, which adorns the heart of this unusual country in South America? Have you had the chance to visit Ecuador so far?

If you have any question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write me below in the comments. Of course, as always, you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT ME page. See you at the same place in a few days, with some new story!

In the following stories from Ecuador, we will discover some other interesting sights that you should visit if your journey leads you to this far away country!

Blogger greetings from Quito,

Mr. M

This post is sponsored by the Quito Tourism Board – Visit Quito, PRO ECUADOR, the airline KLM and other local partners. This post is my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

SHARE THIS POST