The historic centre of Lima was declared a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1988, and although somewhat decrepit, it is still well worth visiting. The beauty of the city's many fine carved wooden balconies found throughout the city is a joy. These are completely enclosed, allowing the person standing on the balcony to look out through the slats without being seen from the street below. This was to protect the modesty of the women of colonial Lima, who would have been compromised had they been seen by passers by.
The centre of Lima is compact, and can easily be walked around. The best starting place is the Plaza Mayor , which used to be known as the Plaza de Armas. The fountain in the centre of the plaza was made by Pedro de Noguera, who was also responsible for the choir stalls in the cathedral. The main building in the Plaza is the Cathedral . Although this is the only building on the square dating from before the 20 th century, the plaza is still an elegant, and traditional, focal point for the city. The Cathedral was completed at the end of the 18 th century, after having been destroyed several times by various earthquakes. Inside the cathedral, the carved choir stalls are impressive. Pizarro's tomb lies in one of the side chapels. There is a Museum of Colonial Art inside the cathedral. On the right of the Cathedral is the Presidential Palace , built in 1938 on the site of the Viceroy's palace and before that the site of the palace of Taulichusco, a pre-Hispanic ruler of the region. The palace can be visited, although an appointment needs to made in the Edificio Palacio next door. A monument to Taulichusco , a granite rock, stands in the Pasaje Santa Rosa, a pleasant pedestrian street with many pavement cafes. Other buildings on the square include the Archbishop's Palace , with a fine carved balcony , and the Town Hall . Next to the Town Hall is a statue of Pizarro.
On Jr. Conde de Superunda, west of the Plaza Mayor, is the Post Office . This has a small stamp museum and some beautiful arcades. Further along Jr. Conde de Superunda is the Church and Monastery of Santo Domingo, This is the oldest church in Lima and is the resting place for San Martín de Porres, the first black saint, and Santa Rosa, the patron saint of Lima, The monastery has some beautiful tiles with biblical scenes, and a series of 36 paintings on the life of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Three blocks further down Jirón Conde de Superunda is the Santuario de Santa Rosa , where the saint's relics are kept, and there is a small adobe hut where the saint is said to have lived. On Jr. Conde de Superunda are some good carved balconies , and the Casa de Osambela is a colonial mansion with a pretty cupola and an art gallery with occasional exhibitions. Nearby is the Church and Convent of Las Nazarenas (corner of Av. Tacna and Jr. Huancavelica) where the image of El Señor de los Milagros (the Lord of the Miracles) is found. A powerful earthquake in 1655 destroyed most of Lima, including a church where the image of a Crucified Christ was painted. However, the wall on which the fresco was painted survived the earthquake, and was considered miraculous for this. Every October, which is known as the mes morado (purple month), worshippers dress in purple gowns and the image of the Christ, weighing over a tonne, is carried on the shoulders of the faithful around Lima in one of the world's largest processions.
The Church of San Agustín (corner of Jr. Ica and Jr. Camaná) is notable for its pretty 18 th century facade. The Church of La Merced (corner of Jr. de la Unión and Jr. Miro Quesada) is said to be built on the site where the first Catholic Mass in Lima was held, in 1534. The church suffered earthquake damage, and was largely rebuilt in the 18 th century. The Museo del Banco Central de Reserva ( ID needed for entry) has an excellent collection of archaeological artefacts from different areas of Peru, The museum also houses an art gallery with an interesting collection of Republican and contemporary Peruvian paintings, as well as a collection of notes and coins from around the world.
The Church of San Pedro (corner of Jr. Azangaro and Jr. Ucayali) was built in the 17 th century, and has an incredibly ornate interior, in stark contrast to its simple exterior. Near San Pedro, on Jr. Ucayali, is the Palacio Torre Tagle , which now houses the Foreign Ministry. This is a fine example of colonial architecture, and the carved balcony is superb. Unfortunately, since the taking of the Japanese Embassy, it has not been possible to see the interior of the building. There is a small Naval Museum at Jr. Miro Quesada 170.
Probably the most interesting building in Lima is the Monasterio de San Francisco, The only way to visit the monastery is on a guided tour, which lasts about 45 minutes. The monastery was originally built in 1669, and has had to be restored many times due to earthquakes. The interior of the monastery is of great interest, and should not be missed. The carved choir stalls are beautiful, but it is the library that has the finest carvings, including an outstanding wooden ceiling from 1625. The library has 25,000 leather-bound books, and 6,000 parchments. The monastery also houses a fine art collection, including work by the school of Rubens, The highlight of the monastery is, however, the catacombs. These were used as Lima's cemetery until the early 19 th century, and 15,000 people were buried in the catacombs. Now there are thousands of skulls and skeletons on display.
Across the river, over the Stone Bridge , dating from 1610, is the district of Rímac . This was a fashionable area in the 17 th century, and although it is now quite dangerous, you should not have problems in daylight. The Plaza de Acho (Jr. Hualgayoc 332) is the oldest bullring in the Americas, built in 1766, although remodelled in 1944. It can seat 13,000 and still hosts important bullfights every year in October and November. There is a bullfighting museum near the ring, which contains many of the costumes worn by famous bullfighters, and many posters and paintings relating to bullfighting, including a Picasso sketch and etching, and a copy of a Goya. Included in the entry price is entry to the ring itself, where the bull enclosure and the matadors' chapel can be seen. The Alameda de los Descalzos is a 17 th century park, which has not been well cared for. Nearby is the Monasterio de los Descalzos with a fine collection of religious paintings, including some Murillos and Bittis, and many paintings from the Cusqueña, Limeña and Quiteña schools. In Ricardo Palma's book Tradiciones Peruanas there is a story related to one of the paintings, Miguel de Santiago's Señor de los Tradiciones. This tells of the painter, in a moment of madness, placing a knife in the back of his model of Christ to get a truly anguished look on his face. When he realised what he had done, the model was already dead. The monastery was founded in 1595 by the Spaniard Francisco Solano and the Italian Andrea Corso, and has some pretty cloisters. Near the monastery is Cerro San Cristóbal , where there is a small museum with occasional exhibitions and a good view over the city. It is rather dangerous, however.
East of the Plaza Mayor, on Jr. Junín crossing Av. Abancay, is the Peruvian Congress building. Opposite this is the Museo de La Inquisición . The church in Lima was all-powerful, and Lima was the last city to abolish the Inquisition, only abandoning the practice in 1820. From the date of its inauguration in 1569 to its abolition, the inquisition in Peru executed 32 people, although far more were tried and tortured. The museum gives an interesting insight into the processes of the inquisition, and has some models of inquisition torture practices. The building should not be missed for the incredible carved roof in the courtroom. This is made up of 33,000 pieces of wood, and there are no nails ? everything fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Tours of the building are available in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese.
A couple of blocks from the Museo de La Inquisición, on Jr. Capon (Jr. Ucayali block 7), is Lima's China Town , where there is a Chinese arch and a couple of pedestrian streets with lots of restaurants and other Chinese shops (although the opium dens have gone), which would not look out of place in any China Town around the world.
Peru has the largest Chinese population in South America, and many Chinese came over in the middle of the 19 th century to work on the coastal haciendas when slavery was abolished, although the conditions in which they worked were not much better than those experienced by the slaves. By the beginning of the 20 th century, there were 120,000 Chinese in Peru, and there are now almost one million Peruvians of Chinese origin living throughout the country. The Chinese influence in Peru is still very noticeable, especially in the culinary field, and there are more chifas in Peru than any other Latin American country. In Peru, ginger is known by the Chinese world kion rather than the Spanish gengibre, and soy sauce is sillau rather than salsa de soya.
From the Plaza Mayor, Jirón de la Unión leads to the Plaza San Martín. The street has become a pleasant pedestrian shopping area, although there are a few too many fast food restaurants.
The Plaza San Martín is a pleasant square, with a statue of General San Martín, who liberated Peru, in the centre. Further down Jr. de la Union is Paseo de La República and Plaza Grau , a rather dangerous area after dark. The Sheraton Hotel is here, as is the Museo de Arte Italiana This has a small, but interesting, collection of late 19 th and early 20 th century Italian paintings and sculptures. A bit further down from the Museo de Arte Italiana is the Museo de Arte . This is housed in a wonderful republican building, and has an interesting collection of colonial paintings from the Cusqueña and Limeña schools, as well as many stern republican portraits and scenes from daily life. There is a section with some modern Peruvian paintings, and a small archaeology sector with ceramics and textiles. West of Plaza Grau is Plaza Bolognesi . There is not much to see here, although there are some grand, but dilapidated, buildings.
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