The parish of El Vecino, located in the north of Cuenca, is considered one of the most important for its historical, patrimonial, economic, and cultural value. Rafael María Arízaga Street connects the neighborhoods of El Vecino, El Chorro, and El Cuartel. In colonial times, it was known as Real del Vecino Street, and it is a very significant road to this day because during the independence period it was through it that the troops led by Father Xavier Loyola entered to liberate Cuenca from Spanish rule.
There are numerous attractions in this neighborhood, the most outstanding being the following:
Rollo de la Picota Monument and Small Square
The first governor of Cuenca ordered the construction of three ‘rollos’ (posts), one at each exit of the city, as a reminder of the justice conducted by the Spanish Crown. Today, the only remaining post is the one in El Vecino, on Rafael María Arizaga and Del Rollo streets.
San José Church
The first Catholic religious institution in this area first was a hermitage built in honor of San Cristobal, located at the northern exit of the colonial Cuenca. The temple and the convent began to be built only in the 20th century thanks to the order of the Mercedarians – who were transferred from La Merced to El Vecino – the façade was begun in 1920, and the construction of this majestic religious building was completed in the 1940s.
Virgen de La Merced Monument and Small Square
When the Mercedarios were unable to return to their old temple, they demanded that the image of the Virgen de la Merced be transferred with them to El Vecino. However, the devotion of the people prevented this from happening and ultimately the locals donated a new image for the order of the Mercedarios. In 1956, a monument was erected in honor of the Virgen de La Merced to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city, and a park was inaugurated on the corner of Huayna Capac and Rafael Maria Arizaga streets.
Municipal Museum "De la Paja Toquilla y el Sombrero"
Since the 19th century, toquilla straw hats and similar products have been produced in the El Vecino neighborhood. This is the main theme of the Casa del Sombrero Municipal Economuseum, built over the first toquilla straw hat finishing factory in the area – which was formerly a school for teaching this type of weaving, and before that a storehouse and an export center. This museum was inaugurated on November 14, 2014, as part of a plan to protect toquilla straw hat weaving, an activity that in 2012 was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.
Murals on Rafael María Arizaga Street
“The route of the murals” has a costumbrista style that captures the tradition, legends, daily life, and crafts, among other activities and iconic events of the inhabitants of this neighborhood and its surroundings. These murals can be found all along Rafael María Arízaga Street.
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