TRAVEL AND TOURS

Lima the City of the Kings ("Ciudad de los Reyes" was founded more than 400 years ago, by the Spanish conqueror ("conquistador") Francisco Pizarro. Nowadays, that same city, which rose from the lands of the native chief Taulischusco, is a metropolis of over 7 million people who proudly preserve the vice royal convents and mansions which are symbols of their ancient and noble heritage.

Lima, capital of Peru, founded on January 18, 1535, is a modern city which, while constantly expanding, has also managed to maintain some of the elegance of its Historic Center. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Center, due to its large number of artistic monuments, Historic Lima is an enchanting haven of a period long gone.

Lima's Cathedral, whose building started on the very day of the city's foundation; the Church and Convent of San Francisco, considered by some as the greatest architectural complex of its kind in Latin America due to its harmony of volume and colour, and Santo Domingo, with its gorgeous main cloister, are but a few of the precious treasures which provide evidence of Lima's deep religious faith.

Similarly, mansions such as the House of Aliaga ("Casa Aliaga"), built upon the private temple of the chief Taulichusco; the House of Goyeneche or Rada ("Casa Goyeneche or Rada"), with its obvious French influence; and the Torre Tagle Palace ("Palacio de Torre Tagle"), the most beautiful of Lima's early 18th century mansions, all symbolize the splendor and flamboyance of the Viceregal era.

Built on the banks of the River Rimac, and caressed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the city of Lima also keeps traces of its pre-Hispanic period; most notably the great sanctuary of Pachacamac, where a deity of the same name was worshipped, and the 'huaca' Pucllana, in the district of Miraflores, an important administrative center of the pre-Inca Lima culture (400 AC).

Lima's name comes either from the 'aymara' lima-limac or limac-huayta, the name of a yellow flower; or from the quechua ´rimac´ meaning 'speaker'. Because of these links with the pre-Hispanic past, its viceroyalty past and the strong religious faith it inherited; its modern outlook and its festive nature, which its gray sky in color, Lima, will always be the City of the Kings.

ATTRACTIONS

The visitor to Lima will never be bored, as there are so many nooks and crannies to discover and get to know. Visitors, like native "Limeños", will notice that time flies in the "City of Kings". So, make the best of your time while there, to visit its old mansions and impressive convents and churches, its pre-Hispanic ruins, its museums and squares, its beaches and its modern parts with its skyscrapers and the neon lights that enliven its busy nightlife.

LIMA HISTORICAL CENTER

Lima Cathedral:

The construction of Lima's Cathedral, on the city's Main Square (Plaza Mayor), begun with the city's foundation, on January 18, 1535. Initially a very modest church, in 1564, architect Jeronimo de Aliaga designed a temple of monumental dimensions modeled on Seville Cathedral in Spain.

Notable features in its interior are its choir pews, the ivory baroque chapel of La Inmaculada and the Christ sent by Carlos V of Spain, and the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru.

Santo Domingo Church:

Santo Domingo, the oldest convent in Lima is, due to its harmonious architectural style, one the city's most peaceful spots. It has a series of cloisters and courtyards surrounded by service areas and community hall. To the right of its main altar, you will find the tombs of Saint Rose of Lima, San Martin de Porres and the beatified Juan Masías.

Church and Convent of San Francisco:

Because of its magnificent harmony of volume and colour, San Francisco is considered by some as the greatest religious architectural complex in Latin America. Its construction, completed in 1674, started in 1542. The convent, the cloisters and thegatehouse are decorated with tiles brought from Seville. The basement has underground galleries or catacombs that, during the Viceroyalty, served as a cemetery.