Historic Centre of Lima

Historic Centre of Lima
UNESCO World Heritage Site
View of the Cathedral and the main square
LocationLima, Peru
CriteriaCultural: (iv)
Reference500bis
Inscription1988 (12th Session)
Extensions1991, 2023
Area259.36 ha (640.9 acres)
Buffer zone766.7 ha (1,895 acres)
Coordinates12°3′5″S 77°2′35″W / 12.05139°S 77.04306°W / -12.05139; -77.04306
Historic Centre of Lima is located in Peru
Historic Centre of Lima
Location of Historic Centre of Lima in Peru

The Historic Centre of Lima (Spanish: Centro histórico de Lima) is the historic city centre of the city of Lima, the capital of Peru. Located in the city's districts of Lima and Rímac, both in the Rímac Valley, it consists of two areas: the first is the Monumental Zone established by the Peruvian government in 1972,[1] and the second one—contained within the first one—is the World Heritage Site established by UNESCO in 1988,[2] whose buildings are marked with the organisation's black-and-white shield.[a]

Founded on January 18, 1535, by Conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the city served as the political, administrative, religious and economic capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, as well as the most important city of Spanish South America.[4] The evangelisation process at the end of the 16th century allowed the arrival of several religious orders and the construction of churches and convents. The University of San Marcos, the so-called "Dean University of the Americas", was founded on May 12, 1551, and began its functions on January 2, 1553 in the Convent of Santo Domingo.[5]

Originally contained by the now-demolished city walls that surrounded it, the Cercado de Lima features numerous architectural monuments that have survived the serious damage caused by a number of different earthquakes over the centuries, such as the Convent of San Francisco, the largest of its kind in this part of the world.[2][6] Many of the buildings are joint creations of artisans, local artists, architects and master builders from the Old Continent.[2] It is among the most important tourist destinations in Peru.

  1. ^ "Centro Histórico de Lima: Patrimonio Mundial". Sitios del Patrimonio Mundial del Perú.
  2. ^ a b c "Historic Centre of Lima". World Heritage Convention. UNESCO.
  3. ^ Tolentino, Scheila (9 May 2023). "Centro de Lima: ¿por qué algunas edificaciones tienen un escudo blanco y negro? Esta es la razón". La República.
  4. ^ Martínez Hoyos, Francisco (15 March 2018). "Lima, la joya del virreinato del Perú". La Vanguardia.
  5. ^ "Centro Histórico de Lima Patrimonio Cultural". UNESCO Cátedra. Universidad de San Martín de Porres.
  6. ^ Pereyra Colchado, Gladys (27 September 2020). "Los secretos de una Lima subterránea y su relación con el hallazgo en la plazuela San Francisco". El Comercio.


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