Guapulo stands on the steep green slope that falls away from Quito towards the valley below, close enough to the capital to be part of it, far enough to have kept the character of a village. Its church and convent form a compact colonial ensemble: a white bell tower against the hillside, a cloister, and an interior in which gilded altarpieces, colonial canvases and polychrome sculpture are gathered around a pulpit whose carving is regarded as one of the finest pieces of woodwork in Ecuador. As a place of pilgrimage the sanctuary keeps a steady devotional life, with processions and feast days that fill the narrow streets around it. The episode combines architectural and artistic close work with a strong sense of setting, filming the ravine, the terraced houses and the light that changes rapidly on this side of the Andean valley.
