The City of Kings, Peru's capital city of Lima (pop. 8,000,000)
was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 on 6 January, the Epiphany
(Feast of the Kings). It was designed to be a purely Spanish
city in a conquered territory, but it has turned out to be a
rather drab and patched-together place -- especially after 450
years of earthquakes. Lima has 20 more museums, including the Museum
of the Inquisition (torture instruments, university library and
carved ceiling), the National Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
(pottery, textiles and stone figures from all of Peru's past
cultures) and the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera (55,000 ceramic
works, including erotic pre-Columbian pottery). Churches to see
include the Cathedral on Plaza de Armas (it holds the remains
of Pizarro), the baroque Church of San Francisco (beautiful hand-carved
ceilings and catacombs containing 70,000 skeletons -- take the
guided tour) and La Merced (site of the first mass in Lima, it
has a lovely cloister and chapel). Other sights include the Palacio
Torre Tagle (a marvelous example of colonial architecture that
now serves as the Foreign Ministry), Casa de Aliaga (built in
1535 and still occupied by the same family) and Casa de Oquendo
(where General San Martin stayed after proclaiming Peru's independence).
Hostels in Lima |
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