It is recommend that you visit El Panecillo during the morning hours since the risk of having rain is lower and the sky is usually quite clear; this way you will enjoy the views much more. In addition, in the morning the concentration of tourists is less, so you can enjoy this site much more.
First, once you are in El Panecillo, you must enjoy the impressive Virgin of Legarda. The majesty of this construction will leave you in awe. The Virgin of El Panecillo is considered the tallest aluminum sculpture in the world. In fact, “it occupies the 58th place among the highest images in the world, it is even taller than the image of El Cristo Redentor (The Christ the Redeemer of Brazil” (Virgen de El Panecillo – 7 Maravillas de Quito, 2019).
Afterwards, you can visit the museum found inside the monument of the virgin of El Panecillo. Have in mind that you can enter this site from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and from Friday to Saturday until 9:00 p.m. There as you go up some steps and reach the viewpoint, you will find yourself at 3,027 m.a.s.l. (9931 ft above sea level), you can enjoy one of the most extraordinary views of the city of Quito.
From this site and its various viewpoints, you can take fantastic photos. You will not only get to see the center and the south of the city, but also the buildings located in the northern part as you will enjoy a 360 degree perspective of the city. You will be able to easily notice the contrasts between the ancient and modern city.
Lastly, you can go out and explore the handmade gods shops that are located around the monument. You will also find some food stalls where you can enjoy local snacks (empanadas, morocho, among others).
Who designed and built the monument located at El Panecillo?
Agustín de la Herrán Matorras, the Spanish artist, made the monument to virgin Mary that is found on the cusp of the hill. The monument is made of more than seven thousand pieces and is considered the largest aluminum representation of Ecuador. This work was built in Valencia, Spain and, what many do not know, is that it was later transferred by boat to Ecuador.
The Spanish artist was inspired by the image of the winged Virgin found in the Church of San Francisco, the work of Bernardo de Legarda, sculptor of the colonial era. The monument of the Virgin of El Panecillo was inaugurated on March 28, 1975.
Origin of the name of the hill of El Panecillo
El Panecillo received this name from the Spanish conquerors, since it seemed to them that the hill, which rose in the heart of Quito, had the shape of a bread bun. It is said that its original name in Quichua is “Shungoloma” which means “Hill of the Heart”.
What happened in this place during the colonization?
During the Spanish conquest, the hill of El Panecillo was considered as a potential fort of defense and surveillance of the Spaniards. This place located at the top of the hill was the site of several battles between the fronts of the Quito revolution and the Spaniards.
The locals from Quito made a barricade on the hill of El Panecillo to avoid the imposition of the Royal Audience of Quito by the Spaniards. In this place, you can also find the well-known “el panecillo pot”, a brick dome located on the hillside that provided water to the fort that was built there.
After gaining Independence, this fort was destroyed and only the cusp of the hill known as the “pot” remained standing, this can be visited still today.
Tales of El Panecillo
Some legends exist surrounding El Panecillo, such as the tale of Yavirac, which goes that El Panecillo represents the Temple of the Sun called “Yavirac”. According to the legend, Atahualpa ordered to build a temple of gold on this elevation, which the Spanish were never able to find.
Also, there is another tale of the Olla del Panecillo (pot of el panecillo), which is about a woman who was taking her cow to graze on this hill. One day she left her cow to graze and then couldn’t find it. In her eagerness to find it, she went down to the bottom of the pot and to her surprise, when she reached the entrance, she found a huge palace, where she met a princess who helped her.
We invite you to find out more about these and other folk tales about El Panecillo!
When visiting Quito you must visit this destination accompanied by a Quito Tour Bus this, the natural elevation of El Panecillo and the emblematic representation of the Virgin Mary, made of aluminum, which you can find at the peak.