Quito’s Colonial downtown area is the largest and best preserved architectural space in all the Americas and was designated by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
Surrounded by this wealth of culture, history and tradition is the Hotel San Francisco de Quito, located in a XVII century colonial house, which was restored carefully, keeping all its original details.
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History of the House
San Francisco de Quito city was founded in 1534, this year the land was distributed to the Spanish conquerors and founders according to their hierarchy. The Spanish Miguel Lozada received the land where today Hotel San Francisco de Quito is located. He built a house which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1698, one of the earthquakes that most destroyed Real Audiencia de Quito territory.
This year the Spanish Juan de Dios Padilla built a new house with two levels. The first level had the main patio for milking and watering cows, in the back the stable for horses and there was a little chapel. The second level had bedrooms, dining room and kitchen.
The House presents colonial and Quiteño architecture characteristics from first years of XVIII century, with more than 1 meter wide walls made of adobe (mix of mud and straw).
In 1747, its owner, who belonged to a religious group, painted a Virgen del Rosario fresco on the wall over the stone stairs that lead to the second level, this fresco was found behind the wall in the last reconstruction of the house in 1989, as well as a tunnel, which used to be prisons for inquisition prisoners, now it’s the Restaurant of the Hotel.
Last reconstruction of this house, cultural heritage of the city, was finished in 1997, year of Hotel San Francisco de Quito foundation, which keeps all the original details.