Maras is a district of the Urubamba province, possible to be reached through a paved road from kilometer 50 on the road Qosqo - Chinchero - Urubamba. It is located towards the west of Qosqo at an altitude of 3300 mts. (10824 feet); over a plain that in prehistoric times was a huge plateau, from which it is possible to observe the range of mountains of Urubamba including the snow capped mountains of Weqey Willka (today "La Veronica", 5682 mts., 18641 ft.) and " Chikon" (5530 mts., 18143 ft.). It seems that in Maras there was a pre-Inkan settlement with subsequent discontinued occupation. All over this zone there is a large amount of pottery pieces of the "Chanapata" culture, as well as obsidian scrapers and knives. The town was founded in colonial times by Pedro Ortiz de Orue, and its important occupation began when the Cusquenian Inkan noblemen were dispossessed of their palaces in Qosqo and had to move settling some other small towns such as San Sebastian and Maras. Likewise, during the war started by Manko Inka willing to recover his Quechua nation, it served as stronghold for invaders that raided against the Ollantaytambo town that was occupied by the Inka during 2 years. Many of its houses are emblazoned with Spanish nobility coats of arms on their lintels, which indicates the importance gained by the town in colonial times. By that time, it was an obliged way for muleteers and their mule droves transporting tropical goods and especially coca leaves from the higher jungle for supplying the markets of the city and the country. It was declared " Villa of Saint Francis of Assisi of Maras" (Villa: city or town that had certain privileges). By that time it had much more importance than the Urubamba settlement; but, today it is a town that languishes due to its isolation and development of modern life. It has a church made with sun dried mud bricks, typical of the village religious architecture, in which front patio is a cross carved in granite. Inside the church are Cusquenian school canvases representing the Apostles, and some other very nice ones, the artist being Quechua painter Antonio Sinchi Roqa Inka. He was native from Maras and painted carefully for its church; he was contemporary of bishop Mollinedo y Angulo and became famous by the middle of XVII century.