One of the ancient twelve neighbourhoods of Inca Cusco, San Blas was known as T’oqocachi. At the time, T’oqocachi rose from the city of Cusco, bounded by the Tullumayo River, in a series of stepped terraces that were both agricultural and contained significant shrines along the road, one of four major highways leaving the heart of the extensive Inca empire. People used this road to get to Sacsayhuaman and further north, along an Inca highway into the jungle lowlands. In 1562, Viceroy Toledo had a small chapel built, today known as the San Blas church. It is believed the church was raised on top of an Inca temple with the idea of catechising the Incas. This is how the colonial invasion of T’oqocachi began. The district became a cultural melting pot and the main settlement of artists and artisans in the area. Today, San Blas is known as the artisan’s neighbourhood, not just because it holds one of the most famous works of Cusqueño wood carving, the Pulpit of San Blas, but also because it is a stronghold of artisans who have practiced and attributed their abilities in sculpture and painting for many decades. The Mendivil family among others has several shops in the area, keeping this rich tradition alive. During the day San Blas is a charming, quaint little district, full of small shops, café’s, and narrow cobblestone streets where you can see a wide variety of artists at work. At night, the San Blas neighborhood comes to life with many bars and restaurants to choose from and enjoy.