On 26 July 1533, a rope was tightened around the neck of Inca Emperor Atahualpa in the central plaza in Cajamarca in what is now Peru. The general who ordered his execution, Pizarro, is said to have shed a tear as the life drained from the condemned's body. On paper, the man died a Catholic by the name of Francisco, but he had been forced to change both his name and religion just hours before his death. A decision Atahualpa had made to ensure that his own death could be undone. So he might be resurrected to rule over his people once more. In less than a century, his people had built the biggest empire ever known in the Americas at that time. And his death signalled the end of that great empire. This is the story of the death of the last Inca Emperor, Atahualpa, and the downfall of the Inca Empire.
Filmed on location in Peru. Featuring interviewees from Peruvian archaeologist Solsiré Cusicanqui Marsano and local guide Manual Portal Cabellos. Narrated by Sarah Agha. Produced by Mark Bowsher and Lizeth Yarlequé.
Up Next in More than Just the Tudors
-
The English Parish Church: An Introdu...
In this introduction to the English Parish Church, Alice Loxton travels across the country to uncover some gems of England’s heritage. From the whitewashing of the Reformation to Wesley’s hymns to William Morris’ efforts to preserve the past, there is lots to discover. And Alice is joined around ...
-
Parliament's Greatest Speeches
The Palace of Westminster is one of the world's most famous buildings: 'the mother of parliaments'. Since the days of Simon de Montfort parliaments having been meeting at this location in the heart of London. Though plagued by controversy and destruction over its long history the site's significa...
-
Henry VIII on Film - Not Just the Tud...
Few British monarchs loom as large in the public imagination as King Henry VIII. Straddling the line between man and myth, he is best known for his infamous six marriages and his penchant for beheadings. But where does fiction meet fact? In cinema and on television, he has been portrayed by a hos...
13 Comments