Early artifacts indicate that more than 14,000 years ago Peru was inhabited along the western coastline. These early societies, the Moche and Nazca, gradually migrated inland and by 800 BC established trade routes across the Andes Mountains. The Inca, the Children of the Sun, created an empire that was at its height from 1438 to 1533. Although the empire lasted less than 100-years it flourished culturally and financially and became the most expansive kingdom in pre-Columbian South America. https://www.peru.travel/en
Francisco Pizarro was an ambitious and cruel man who arrived in Hispaniola in 1513, heard tales of considerable gold in South America, and set out as a conquistador in 1524.This expedition failed but in 1526 he succeeded in almost attaining his goal. He came near enough to the Incan Empire to verify his belief that there was gold to be taken. Finally, in 1532 Pizarro and 180 Spanish conquistadores reached Peru. When they asked where they were they were told they were in “Biru,” eventually known as Peru. The first colony he founded there was San Miguel de Piura.
Ladinos, culturally Spanish Africans who lived in Spain, accompanied Pizarro on his expeditions. They functioned as conquistadors, servants, slaves, soldiers and settlers. They were largely responsible for building and maintaining the settlements. Juan Valiente is a well-documented black conquistador who served in Peru and ss a result was awarded land, Indian slaves, and an Indian village that paid him an annual tribute.
Photo By Mary Harrsch
Pizarro’s immediately went to meet the Incan Emperor Atahualpa. Atahualpa felt secure in the knowledge that his thousands of men could maintain his safety at the meeting. He failed to understand the power of the weapons arrayed against him and the devastation caused by European diseases. On November 16, 1532 the emperor met with Pizarro in the plaza of an Incan city. In an ambush the guards were killed and in the ensuing massacre 2,000 Inca were killed and approximately 5,000 were imprisoned over a 2-hour period. They took the emperor prisoner and received a ransom of a room filled once with gold (13,000-lbs.) and twice with silver (26,000-lbs.). The Incans paid the ransom but he was still executed for treason. He was garroted and his body was left on display in the plaza.
When the conquest was complete the Spanish Empire took jurisdiction over the entire region as a Viceroyalty. The indigenous inhabitants knew the area as “Limaq” but the Spanish abbreviated it by removing the “q.” Lima was established on the Epiphany in 1535 and was therefore known initially as the City of the Kings. It became capital of Peru because of its access to the sea, was the economic, social, cultural and political capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and was the most significant of the Spanish’s South American domain. In 1988 Lima’s Historic Center was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The most historic colonial structures are arrayed around or easily accessed from the Plaza de Armas, a square laid out by Pizarro himself. He also selected the exact location for the Government Palace and the Cathedral. Today the square is essentially the same with the addition of a bronze fountain added in the mid-17th century.
The Presidential Palace is the official residence of the president of Peru and houses the executive branch of the government. Historically the 1535 structure was the House of Pizarro, a royal residence for the conquistador and his family. The building stands on an ancient burial ground that held a shrine. In 1541 Pizarro was attacked and killed during dinner in this mansion. Upon his death it became the residence of the Peruvian Viceroyalty and new seat of government. As a result of an earthquake it was rebuilt in the 1920s in French Baroque. The building is surrounded by a wrought iron fence and displays Pizarro’s Coat-of-Arms. Daily, at noon, a Guard Mounting Ceremony takes place. Each month on the 3rd Sunday the President of Peru and the First Lady are often in attendance.
Captain Jerónimo de Aliaga was granted land and in 1535 he built the settlement’s first mansion, Casa Aliaga. The residence has continuously been owned and occupied by Aliaga’s descendants since then. The home is opulently furnished with art, architectural objects and items of historic interest. Entrance is only offered via guided tour or private guide but is well worth advance planning.
Casa Riva Agüero was constructed in 1760 by the Aguero family. It now houses the Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares, the Folk Art Museum, and a large archive and library.
The Museum Andres del Castillo’s collection of minerals is featured in the 1606 Casa Belen. This mansion has been fully restored.
Original architectural elements, original doors and grilled windows, are on view at the House of the Thirteen Coins. The one-story home, rococo in design, was owned by the López-Flores family.
In 1565 the Spanish Ruler granted permission to construct the Casa de la Moneda as a currency stabilization venue. The house has been restored and now is the site of the Museo Numismatico del Perú. On display are examples of current and historic Peruvian coins and bills.
An outstanding example of elegant colonial architecture is the 1730 Palacio de Torre Tagle. It was constructed by the former treasurer of the Royal Spanish fleet and is now the Office of Foreign Affairs. The building is recognizable by the carved wooden balconies and the coat of arms on the facade. On the interior there is Moorish architecture in the form of a typical Moorish patio and galleries. The palace was constructed in 1735 of imported materials. Admission is by special request only.
Pizarro chose the location and placed the first stone for the first church in the settlement. A stone facade was added to the baroque structure in 1649. It was designated The Cathedral of Lima in 1541. A tour of the interior reveals carved altars, 13 chapels, sculptures and a museum. Highlights of a tour are the vaulted ceilings, ornate tiles, gold-plated main altar and a glass coffin with Pizarro’s remains. The Moorish influence is everywhere.
Another Lima jewel is the complex consisting of the Church of San Francisco and the Convent of San Francisco, Construction began in 1537 of a temporary church. In 1550 a permanent church was begun. The sun-yellow church offers a guided tour and entrance to the catacombs, church and Franciscan monastery. Each area showcases unique aspects and displays. The church’s 1546 Mudejar dome, unique on the continent, and the neoclassical main altar adorn the church. The church is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and murals of his life are found in the convent.
The library has 25,000 volumes and 6,000 parchments, the 1572 “Biblia Regia” and the first Spanish language dictionary. Many of the books are so delicate they may only be handled by the monks.
The Catacombs below the monastery are the largest in the city. They hold as many as 25,000 people organized by types of bones and placed in Moorish influenced internment vaults.
Join the children of the sun as you step into history. #VisitPeru
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