Cantuña and the Devil's Stone
In Quito, legend says a builder sold his soul to the Devil to finish a church in one night, then hid a single stone to cheat him.
What was reported
The Church of San Francisco is one of the oldest in South America, begun in Quito in the 1530s. The legend is about Cantuña, an Indigenous builder who promised to finish the church's great atrium by a deadline and fell far behind.
In despair, he made a deal: the Devil's workers would finish it overnight, in exchange for his soul. They worked through the night, but Cantuña had hidden one stone. At dawn, with the atrium one stone short, the deal was broken and his soul was saved.
Explanations offered
Stories of buildings finished by the Devil and saved by a trick are told across Europe too. Cantuña's legend is part of Quito's identity, and visitors still look for the missing stone. A chapel in the church carries his name.
- When
- Told of the 1500s
- Where
- Church of San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador
- Witnesses
- Ecuadorian legend
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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