Newsletter January 2008

The 18th of January marked 473rd Anniversary of Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, founding his capital in the conquered land of the Incas, preferring a coastal capital, with sea connections, rather than an Andean one as the Incas had had in Cuzco. Legend has it that Pizarro marked out the Plaza de Armas, the main square, with his sword.

Obviously, Lima has seen seismic shifts, both literally and figuratively, since then, but as cars were cleared from the Plaza to make way for the diverse celebrations, one was able to get a fleeting taste of how the city centre looked in days gone by, and cast one’s mind back to some of the formative events in Peru's history that have taken place here:
The small one-story buildings formed Pizarro's original plaza have long since disappeared, victims of the many earthquakes the city has suffered, the worst being in 1746; Peru's independence was declared here by San Martín; and the Plaza has been and continues to be the focal point for much social protest as the modern city has grown up around it.

It is a reminder that to understand Peru fully you need to have some understanding of its capital city, which holds a third of the population, all the commercial and governmental offices of any import and has an overwhelmingly dominant position in the country. We can undoubtedly help you make the most of this fascinating city, which never stops growing and has many exciting things to offer, not least its mouth-watering cuisine.

Source: http://enperu.blogsyte.com

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• Newsletter January 2008