Piura History

History

By T

Piura was inhabited by two groups of natives called the tallanes, who were of Caribbean origin, and the yungas. The people of these groups lived without organization or a leader until another group, the mochicas took over. These groups evolved into the Vicús Culture, and they controlled the area for centuries. The Vicús culture is revered by archaeologists and collectors for the intricate and beautiful pottery they created. At least 40 years before the Spanish arrived, Piura was taken over by Inca Yupanqui, who was the tenth ruler of the Inca Empire.

When the Spanish arrived in 1532, they established Piura, which is the oldest Spanish city in South America. Piura also served as the first main port at which the Spaniards shipped out the Incan gold they had gathered.

After the Spanish Conquest the area developed a strong mestizo, which means mixed, culture which included influences from Spaniards, African slaves from Madagascar, Chinese rice field workers and Roma Gypsies who had come to the area as pirates.