A SELF-GUIDED, ONE-DAY WALKING TOUR OF COLONIAL LIMA, PERU
Pa’ Lima (To Lima!)
How would you spend one day in Lima on your first visit? Certainly, there are many answers to the question, but a self-guided walk through colonial Lima is probably the best option, taking one from the humble to the extravagant.
You will notice lots of churches are recommended. Remember, historically, people all over the world have put their best artistic talents into their houses of worship. Lima is no exception, as the best of colonial Lima can be found in its churches. They should not be missed.
Let’s begin!
Find your way to the intersection of Avenida Tacna and Jiron Huancavelica in the historic center of Lima (Centro de Lima). An easy way to get there is to use the Lima Metropolitano bus system, exiting at the Tacna Sur station, and walking one block to the east (walk toward the mountains!), where you will find the Iglesia de las Nazarenes.
But, once at the church, resist the urge to go in! You’ll come back to it! First, continue on Huancavelica a few doors down to the...
MUSEO SENOR DE LOS MILAGROS Jiron Huancavelica 583 - Lima
Telephone: 431-7754
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Closed Mondays. (entry fee)
The museum has a Facebook page.
Here, in three well-designed floors, you will learn how a simple mural painted by a black slave in a poor section of town called Pachacamilla survived three earthquakes and how it became a religious and cultural phenomenon, as important today as it ever was.
Notable exhibits include the story of the miracle, the wall of gracias recibidas, that is, petitions or prayers (and thanks) made by worshipers for help with various types of problems (health, wealth, etc.), the room which shows how the faithful put together the processions, and quite a few period paintings and furniture, including a small collections of old chests, remarkable for their simplicity and their size, spread throughout the exhibition.
Look, too, for the cross encased in a glass cube, where you will see – up close – a purported fragment of the real cross on which Jesus was crucified.
You will also find two more fragments of the real cross in the Reliquary Room, along with a collection of bone fragments and drops of blood from numerous saints, carefully framed, encased, and displayed. On our last visit, the museum guard gave us an impromptu explanation of the other objects found in the room, as well, all related to the handling and display of the reliquaries.
Now that your museum visit is complete, head back past the shops offering religious souvenirs and objects of devotion such as rosaries, statues, candles, etc., to the…
IGLESIA LAS NAZARENES AND THE SANCTUARY OF THE SENOR DE LOS MILAGROS
Corner of Avenida Tacna and Jiron Huancavelica
Telephone 423-5718
Open every day from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm
The church is often quite crowded, but go inside and head towards the rear. Look up, high on the wall behind the altar and you will see the mural of the Senor de los Milagros! Revered and venerated, it is proof to believers that miracles do happen. Every October, here and around the world where Peruvians have settled, the procession of the Senor de los Milagros takes place in celebration of the endurance and survival of the mural.
Next, go back to Avenida Tacna and make a left, again headed towards the mountains. Proceed to Jiron Callao, where you will see the red Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima, ahead of you. Before going to it, turn left on Jiron Callao to the…
CASA DE SAN MARTIN DE PORRES
Jiron Callao 535 – Lima
Telephone: 423-0705
Open Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm, Saturdays 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. Closed Sundays.
Website: http://www.casadesanmartindeporres.pe
The birthplace of San Martin de Porres, amplified over the years to its current edifice, built in 1896. The house is quite simple, in honor of a simple personage. It is a stark contrast to sights we will see later on in the tour.
Make a right when exiting the building, heading to Avenida Tacna, making a left turn toward the mountains, approaching the…
IGLESIA Y MONASTERIO DE SANTA ROSA DE LIMA
First block of Avenida Tacna, between Jiron Callao and Jiron Conde de Superunda
Go inside the gate to the church grounds, but take a slight detour by heading away from the church, back towards the birthplace of San Martin de Porres. Near the end of the block, there is a statute of San Martin and a good perspective for a photo of the house. Turning around and heading toward the church is another good perspective, this time of the Iglesia de Santa Rosa. Head toward the left of the church to find the birthplace of Santa Rosa and her living quarters. Also found here are a dry well where the faithful can toss a card or note petitioning Santa Rosa and a pleasant garden and a small shop.
Once again, the site is a simple presentation compared to those you will see later in the tour, but it has been well-maintained and is a quiet place to take a rest, which you will need for the next part of the tour.
Upon exiting the church of Santa Rosa, head left toward the large intersection and cross over Avenida Tacna to the right, now moving toward the center of Lima on…
JIRON CONDE DE SUPERUNDA
There may be other streets in Lima which convey the colonial period better, but Jiron de Superunda is serendipitously placed to allow the visitor easy access to a number of the highlights of our walking tour. Let’s use it, as we continue.
Who was the Conde de Superunda? Why, he was Jose Manso de Velasco, the 30th Viceroy of Peru, who had the historical fortune to be in office a little more than a year when Lima’s most devastating earthquake struck in 1746. He took charge of the situation immediately and committed the city to a grand rebuilding scheme by using new anti-earthquake construction techniques. The construction of the Catedral de Lima was also begun under his rule, in 1755. (Early maps illustrating the city plan can be found here: http://planosdelimavirreinal.blogspot.com/)
At number 298, stop and take a look at the Osambela house, supposedly completed in 1807 (although the date on the door is plainly 1806), one of the largest homes built during the colonial period. About those doors – why so big? The entryways needed to be extra large to admit horse and carriage to the house grounds.
It is said Don Martin de Osambela would go to the top of his house where he could clearly see across the city to the port of Callao to check on his shipping interests. Turning around while standing in front of the house and looking down Jiron Cailloma, one can get a feeling for what his view must have been like, as many houses there retain the low construction typical of the time. The Casa de Osambela also presents the visitor with fine examples of the balconies Lima would become famous for.
Continue along Jiron Conde de Superunda towards the center of the city, until you arrive at the intersection with Jiron Camana, where there is a large church on the left, the…
IGLESIA Y CONVENTO DE SANTO DOMINGO (Y MUSEO)
Jiron Camana 170 – Lima, at the corner of Jiron de Conde de Superunda
Telephone: 427-6793
Open Monday through Saturday 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Sundays 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
The convent museum is open daily from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (entry fee)
The older churches in the center of Lima are far more complex and decorative in the classic rococo style, with dizzyingly high, massive altars and sub-altars, which seem to want to topple onto the viewer. Santo Domingo is the first example we shall see.
First, go to the right side of the main altar to the Altar de los Santos Peruanos, which contains the skull of San Martin de Porres, the bones of San Juan Macias, and an image of Santa Rosa de Lima, the three Peruvian saints.
Next, while the church is certainly noteworthy, the museum in the back is not to be missed. The cloisters, the library, and the reception hall, where the Peruvian national anthem was written, are fine examples of colonial (and colonial-inspired) art and architecture. There is the chapel of San Martin, where his tomb is, the tomb of Santa Rosa in the crypt under the chapterhouse, and the bell tower, which is open to the public to afford a view of the colonial center of Lima.
Time now for a break from saints and churches. Upon exiting the church, directly cross Jiron de Conde Superunda to the…
CENTRO ARTESENAL SANTO DOMINGO Y CONGLOMERADO ARTESENAL CAMANA
Jiron Camana at the corner of Jiron de Conde de Superunda
Open daily from about 10:00 am until about 8:30 pm, although individual owners may open or close at their discretion. Most stores in these markets are closed Sundays.
There are several markets throughout Lima where artisanal goods can be purchased, including the very large Mercado Indio in Miraflores. On our program, there are two interconnected markets happily situated about half way through the tour, the Centro Artisanal Santo Domingo (which, obviously takes its name from the church) and the Conglomerado Artesanal Camana, with its main entrance around the corner on Jiron Camana. Despite the different entrances, once inside, it is quite easy to pass from one to the other. The many stalls offer handicrafts of all qualities from all over Peru: alpaca sweaters, hand embroidered bags and belts, ceramics, jewelry, silverwork, etc., and the garden variety souvenirs made elsewhere, such as refrigerator magnets, t-shirts, mugs, and the like. Not to miss anything, start on the upper floors and work your way down. It may seem that every store has exactly the same goods as the next, but, with a little more than casual searching, you are likely to find unique items. Bargaining is expected and prices are competitive.
With your wallet a little lighter and carrying several bags of gifts to take home to friends and family, you are now ready to proceed in the same direction you have been walking along Jiron Conde de Superunda towards…
LIMA PLAZA MAYOR (PLAZA DE ARMAS) (and environs)
Before the 20th century, the tallest buildings in Lima were its churches. However, in the 1930s, there was a building boom, no more clearly evidenced than at the Plaza Mayor, where three sides of the square are neo-colonial (the ones that do not have church buildings, that is).
Presidential Palace
Although it is not the geographic center of colonial Lima, the Plaza Mayor is the place where Francisco Pizarro decided to build his capital, about in the spot where the presidential palace is now, the grand, gated edifice to your left, as you enter the square. If you are lucky enough to be there a little before noon, you will witness the elaborate changing of the guard ceremony, replete with a brass band, red uniforms, and shiny gold helmets. It is a working building, as the president of Peru lives there when in office.
Museo Palacio Arzobispal de Lima
Open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Closed Sundays. Entry fee. Telephone: 425-5790
Website: www.palacioarzobispaldelima.com
When facing the palace, look to your right, on the other side of the square, for the building with two sets of massive balconies. Although the building dates from 16th century, it has been reconstructed and restored twice. It remained private to church dignitaries until 2010, when it opened as a museum of colonial and modern art. The inside is impressive, if not so large. One of the few opportunities in Lima to go inside an old house, even if it belonged to the highest church official in South America.
La Basilica Catedral de Lima
Including: Museo de Arte Religioso de la Catedral de Lima
Open: Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, closed Sundays. Telephone: 427-9647
Not surprisingly, Lima’s cathedral (entry fee for the museum) is located next to the archbishop’s house. Every important Peruvian historical figure visited the cathedral, either in life or ceremoniously after death, including Pizarro himself, whose tomb can be found inside. Housing a large collection of artworks and several incredibly large and intricately carved sub-altars which soar above the floor in massive concentrations of wood and plaster. Formerly a darkened place, as the cathedral has no windows, the lighting has been improved to allow more pleasurable viewing.
Plaza
After visiting the cathedral, you might want to take a break and sit on its steps to afford a panoramic vista of the plaza or you can try your luck at finding a spot on a bench in the usually busy plaza itself. Note the porticos on the two sides of the square you have not yet visited. Those on the side closest to the cathedral house offices and some shops at street level. The ones opposite the church have better restaurants and an office of Prom Peru, the Peruvian tourist board in the minor square at the rear of the building.
Once you’ve finished your break, head back to the corner where the archbishop’s house is and proceed across Jiron Junin (which has now changed names from Jiron Conde de Superunda) to the…
Jiron Carabaya Pedestrian Zone
Immediately upon crossing Jiron Junin, with the presidential palace to your left, you will see some souvenir shops and a couple of leather stores. The yellow building on the right is one of the last original colonial structures in the center of Lima.
Continuing along Jiron Carabaya, at the corner of Jiron Ancash is Bar Cordano, a 110-year-old Lima institution.
Because of its location, anyone who was anyone – presidents, congressmen, writers, etc. came to have a drink or a sandwich. The same way the Catedral was the meeting place for the rich and famous of colonial times, Bar Cordano has seen its share of Lima notables. By now, you might need a snack or a drink. This will be the first place to get one of several options on the latter part of the tour.
Upon leaving Bar Cordano, proceed to the right, that is, away from Plaza Mayor, along Jiron Ancash, two blocks, where you will soon the towers of the...
IGLESIA Y CONVENTO DE SAN FRANCISCO
Plaza San Francisco Lima, corner of Jiron Ancash and Jiron Lampa
Telephone: 426-7377
Open Monday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 5:45 pm (tour fee)
http://www.museocatacumbas.com/english/index_en.html
On the outside, the Iglesia de San Francisco is not as impressive as some of the other churches in Lima. However, the inside is another story. The church and convent are the complete package: catacombs, an ossuary, a fine old library, Moorish influences at the convent, including tiled walls and carved wooden ceilings, and a Spanish baroque church, which is not as effusive as some of the architecture you have seen thus far, but well-preserved and decorated, nonetheless. Take the time to go on the tour.
The Iglesia de San Francisco marks the turning point in the tour. From here on, we are heading back to the Metropolitana, but not without a couple of quick stops.
Continue up Jiron Ancash away from the Plaza Mayor for one block to Jiron Azangaro and make a right onto it. (One block further is Avenida Abancay, perhaps the busiest street in Lima, with chaotic, choking traffic. Let’s not venture that way.) Jiron Azangaro is nondescript, but you must traverse it for three blocks to Jiron Ucayali, at the Iglesia San Pedro, where you will make a right onto Jiron Ucayali.
Immediately apparent, on your right, is the famous Palacio de Torre Tagle (by appointment only) with its fine balconies. Most of the palacio is original from the 1700s.
Continue on Jiron Ucayali away from Avenida Abancay for four more blocks to Jiron de la Union and make a left.
Jiron de la Union is a modern pedestrian zone where Limenos go to shop, see a movie, or have a hamburger.
The last stop on our tour is one block further, just in from Jiron Huancavelica, the Iglesia de la Merced, with its incredible façade.
Take a look inside the church, along the right side and you will find a wall of gracias recibidas, where the faithful come to pray for assistance. You will remember that you saw the wall of gracias recibidas in your first stop, the Museo Senor de los Milgaros, which means you have come full circle (spiritually, anyway) on your tour.
Continue one block further to Avenida Emancipation, where your will find the Jiron de la Union station of the Metropolitano.
Wisqiti hopes this introduction to colonial Lima inspires you to explore the city more in depth. There's plenty to see and do!
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.