Seven Treasure Cities of Latin America

Kitchell Whyte, Bertha, Seven Treasure Cities of Latin America, New York: October House, 1965.

From the Introduction:

In this book about seven Spanish Colonial cities in Latin America, the emphasis is chiefly on the art of the Colonial period and its present remains. The Spanish Colonial period spanned about three hundred years from the Conquest to the Independence, extending roughly from the early sixteenth century to the early nineteenth. Accordingly, the story of the seven cities starts four hundred years ago. From the cities selected, you can follow the course of the Spanish Conquest. From Hispaniola it wound to Puerto Rico, to Mexico and Merida and from there to Cartagena. From Cartagena it went by sea to Portobelo and across the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific and then southward. Inland, it went to Quito and Tunja and, farther down, it crossed over the Andes to Cuzco. Pizarro, exploring westward out of Cuzco, founded Lima near the coast. Part of the treasure of these cities is their history and the memories of what they once possessed.