Facts about Lima (ahead of the capital city’s 482nd anniversary)

The stage is set for Lima’s 482nd anniversary celebration. The historic Spanish-colonial center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988, has been the scene of non-stop live music from mid-morning late into the night all week in the Plaza de Armas.

Here are some facts about the City of Kings:

• … Lima was founded by Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro on Jan. 18, 1535 at 10 o’clock in the morning

• … The abundance of firewood was one of the reasons Lima was chosen as the site of the capital.
• … Pizarro chose the current site of the government palace for his residence and seat of power because it was the house of Taulichusco, the Inca ruler of the Rimac Valley.
• … When Pizarro conquered Lima, Taulichusco was not killed, but was allowed to move to what is now the city district of Pueblo Libre.
• … The original plan for Lima was designed by Conquistador Diego Agüero, who used it also for the design of Buenos Aires.
• … In 1542, Lima was designated the center of Spain’s Viceroyal Government, the most powerful in South America.
• … The first running of the bulls was held in huge patio of Pizarro’s home in 1538.
• … The jurisdiction of Archbishop of Lima spanned from Nicaragua to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
• … A huge wall was erected around the entire city in 1658 to defend Lima from pirates.

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