Central Lima History

History

By Christopher Minster

Lima's central colonial district is the most historic in the whole city and one of the most historic in all of Latin America. Since Lima was established in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, the center has seen a great deal of history.

Pizarro founded Lima as the City of Kings on January 18, 1535, and although no kings ever visited during its early history, it was home to 40 viceroys during the colonial era. The central square (Plaza de Armas) was laid out by Pizarro himself, with the cathedral on one side, the Cabildo (town hall) on another side and Pizarro's own house on another. Pizarro lived in what is now known as the presidential palace until his death in 1541; he was hacked down in the street by rival conquistadores. His remains are in the cathedral.

After Pizarro, Lima continued to be very important historically. Lima became the seat of one of only two Spanish viceroyalties in the New World; the other was in Mexico City. (A third was added in Buenos Aires later.) As such, it was the political and spiritual hub of Spanish South America for centuries.

Spanish civil and religious authorities set up shop in Lima, ruling the part of the Spanish Empire that stretched from Quito to Chile. The discovery of rich mineral deposits in parts of Bolivia and Peru meant that a great deal of wealth flowed into Lima, and some of the old colonial homes still reflect this.

The Holy Office of the Inquisition was established in Lima, and began looking for heretics to prosecute. Under the Inquisition, there was a great deal of paranoia and witch-hunting. The Inquisition was charged with extirpating idolatry, but they were forbidden to persecute indigenous Andeans. The idea was that the natives, recently pacified and brought to Catholicism, needed time to adapt to Christianity. Therefore, they were given a "free pass" of sorts. They were punished when they were found to be continuing to practice their traditional rituals, but they were not executed or burned at the stake (not always, anyway).

Since the natives were off limits, the Inquisition went after crypto-Jews (Jews who had "converted" but who continued to practice Judaism in secret) and Protestants with a vengeance. Lima's central square was often the site of Auto de Fé's, which were public penances for those tried and convicted. Some, but not all, of those convicted were later executed, some by burning at the stake.

In 1746, a devastating earthquake hit the city, killing thousands and toppling many buildings. The city was rebuilt, although a great deal of historic architecture was lost.

In 1988, Lima's Historic Center was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the architectural features of colonial Lima is its balconies. By some estimates, there are still more than 1,600 balconies that have survived since Lima's earliest days.

In the late 1990s, local efforts were made in Lima to significantly clean up downtown Lima. Street vendors were kicked out, more police were sent in on patrol and street crime diminished significantly.