Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Diana P. Olano

Lima. The City of Kings. The city of "organized chaos". The city that gave birth to the delicious causa rellena, operatic tenor Juan Diego Flórez, and the cajón, a percussion instrument essential to the creation of Criolla music. Say what you want about this city, but you can't say that it's boring.

And this week, Lima's populous celebrate the anniversary of the founding of this enigmatic metropolis with free concerts, dance shows, art exhibitions and much more. But before we get into what activities there are to enjoy, a little history...

Almost 473 years to the day, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro landed on the banks of the Rimac River and established what we know today as Lima, the capital city of Peru. Lima, which comes from the Quechua word "Rímac" meaning "talking river", was also given the name the "Cuidad de los Reyes" (City of the Kings) because its inception was decided on the date of the feast of the Epiphany, January 6th. However, January 18 is the official date of the founding of Lima and the day we choose to remember in festivities.

The "Peoples of the Sun", the Incas, had an empire which by 1500, stretched from present-day Quito, Eduador to the Maule River in Chile. When the Spanish came to the new continent, they took over the empire, the land where Lima is located included. The city became the Viceroyalty of Peru, the designated capital of Spanish-ruled South America. This brought much prestige to the city, as did the establishment of the oldest university of the Americas, Saint Mark University, and the forming of a Roman Catholic archdiocese a few years before. This led Lima into it's most prosperous time, the 17th century, when an extensive trade network would see the capital blossom into the glorious, urban city it was known as during that era.Today, Lima's residents look back at those times with pride and fondness. Those sentiments are what fuel the energy for the festivities that remember Lima's anniversary this week. And what's best is that most, if not all of the activities are free of charge!

The week kicks off with an art exhibition by José Coronado at the Pancho Fierro Gallery. In it, Coronado pays tribute to Lima through paintings and watercolors which remember Lima's 17th century boom, as well as represent a "mestiza" city, full of Andean influences. Coronado studied at the Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes of Peru.

Food lovers, don't miss out on the gastronomy festivals happening at Plazuela “Las Limeñitas” and Chinatown this weekend. Traditional dishes and desserts from all over Peru will be featured at the festival at “Las Limeñitas”, while Chinatown will present fusion dishes such as Lychee Pisco Sours, Lomo de Alpaca, and ginger ice cream.

This Thursday, the Plaza de Armas will play host to "Serenata", where a number of Peruvian music and dance acts, all coming together to pay honor to a city they love. The Ballet Folclorico Municipal of Lima and the Campeones de Marinera will put on shows featuring music and traditional dances from Peru's coast, while the Escuela Municipal de Canto Contigo Lima and singer Lucia de la Cruz will hypnotize with their Criolla music stylings. Rock band La Sarita and Afro-Peruvian band Guajaja will also take part. The night will feature a fireworks display, as well.

The art exhibition "Re-Conociendo Lima" takes a look at Lima's past (XIX and XX centuries) through photographs from that era. The photographs are provided by the Archivo del Instituto E. Courret and sponsors include FOTO LASER. This exhibition also takes place at the Pancho Fierro Gallery.

One of Lima's most wonderful museums, the Museum of Art of Lima (MALI), will be offering free admission and free guided tours on the 18th. Current exhibitions include Sebastián Rodríguez from Huancayo and a series of contemporary pieces, while the permanent collection features art dating back to 200 A.C. Latin America. Museums in downtown Lima will also be reducing their prices or featuring free admission, as well.

The rest of the week's activities, some of which run into next week, can be found in this file of events we've compiled. We hope you get out and enjoy what this wonderful city has to offer not just for its annivesary, but year-round.

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Happy B-day Lima, the city of the Kings !!!
VIVA EL PERÚ... y sereno.

Nice activities in Lima during this weekend! Good article

Con todas sus virtudes y defectos, con el terrible caos vehicular, aún podemos seguir encontrando lugares que valen la pena. Lima aún mantiene ese "aire señorial" que la distinguen de otras ciudades. Es tarea de los limeños preservar sus monumentos, es nuestra historia

Great article, but again fail whoever did the research for it. Mario Vargas Llosa was born in Arequipa, not in Lima.

That was sloppy research on my part. And not being Peruvian is still not an excuse. Thanks Alejandro. Will be corrected and adding another Limeñan personality.

The city of Lima is much, much older that 473 years, the article fails to mentions its last Curaca (Inkan governor) who was brutally killed by Francisco Pizarro. The article also fails to talk about the strong return of the Quechua influence in today Limeñan society. About 85% of today's population of the city if from Andean descend. Notice how the Spanish/colonial side is highlighted while ignoring the Deep Lima or Lima Profunda.

With 473 years to review the article may fail to mention many things, including a Limeña saint, Santa Rosa de Lima. But I think it gives us a good summary of its origins and how limeños are celebrating now. I didn't see Vargas Llosa's name in the story. I guess it was corrected already. One thing I would suggest, though, is to write proper names in their original language. I prefer San Marcos university rather than Saint Mark University. 

Thanks for the story. I liked it so much that I wish I am in Lima to celebrate her. Feliz Cumpleaños, Lima querida.

John: Notice how the city is celebrating Lima’s founding, which was indeed established by a Spaniard. Prior to that it did belong to the Inca Empire, as I stated in the article, but it didn’t exist as "Lima" back then, did it? Nothing was intentionally ignored or highlighted, but yes, the story is solely focusing on Lima’s history, from when it was founded in 1535. Nothing more, nothing less.