Trivia & Quick Facts
The cheese, the camelids, and the two hours in 1532 that ended an empire.
Things worth knowing
Fun and fascinating
factoids about Cajamarca
Some of these will change how you plan the trip, and some are just good at a dinner table. Click a photograph to the side to bring it to the middle, and click the middle one to read it here. Each fact links to the place it happened.
Pizarro and the Ransom
The most famous ransom in the Americas was paid here, in 1532.
The Inca ruler Atahualpa was captured in Cajamarca and held in a stone room he offered to fill with gold and silver in exchange for his freedom.
Juan Lepiani's painting of the capture of Atahualpa at Cajamarca. Photo by Juan Lepiani, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Go and see it
See Cuarto del Rescate for yourself
Every fact on this page has a place behind it, and all of them are still standing. For the long version of the story, read History & Culture; for the practical questions, see Travel Tips.