What Inca king built the summer palace of Quispiguanca?

The Inca king who built the summer palace of Quispiguanca was Huayna Capac. The royal estate stood near modern Urubamba in Peru’s Sacred Valley, a fertile region roughly 30 kilometers from Cusco.

Quispiguanca was more than a seasonal residence. Inca rulers established royal estates to display power, support their descendants, manage agricultural production, and provide a base for ceremonies and administration. The Sacred Valley’s warmer climate made it especially valuable for growing maize, a prestigious crop that was difficult to cultivate near the higher elevations of Cusco.

Huayna Capac’s estate extended for about 15 kilometers along the valley. Several local groups worked its lands, and the ruler also relocated approximately 2,000 outsider families through the mitma system. The palace compound itself included plazas, halls, terraces, gates, walls, and agricultural installations.

The site is often confused with other famous royal estates in the same region, including Machu Picchu and Huchuy Qosqo. Quispiguanca was a separate estate associated specifically with Huayna Capac. Much of the palace was later altered or lost under Spanish colonial rule, and parts of the site eventually became a cemetery and farmland.