 The Spanish built stone arcades around the plaza which endure to this day.The main cathedral and the Church of La Compañía both open directly onto the plaza.This church (Church of the Society of Jesus), whose construction was initiated by the Jesuits in 1576 on the foundations of the "Amarucancha" or the palace of the Inca ruler Wayna Qhapaq, is considered one of the best examples of colonial baroque style in the Americas.