Lima: A Cultural HistoryFormerly the viceregal capital of Spain's vast South American empire, Lima is today a sprawling metropolis struggling to cope with a population of eight million. Located on the coast between the Andean foothills and the Pacific Ocean, it is many cities in one, with an indigenous past, and old colonial heart the port of Callao, and turn-of-the-century quarters modelled on Paris. Leafy suburbs like San Isidro and tranquil seaside communities such as Barranco contrast with ever-expanding shantytowns. Lima has always dominated national life as the center of political and economic power. Long a stronghold of the European elite, the city is now home to millions of Peruvians from the Andean region as well as the descendans of African slaves and migrants from Europe, China and Japan. As a popular saying puts it, the whole of Peru is now in Lima. James Higgins explores the city's history and evolving identity as reflected in its architecture, literature, painting, and music. Tracing its trajectory from colonial enclave to modern metropolis, he reveals how the capital now embodies the diversity and dynamism of Peru itself. |
Contents
Map of Lima | 1 |
The PreHispanic Past | 17 |
City of the Kings | 26 |
The Museum of the Inquisition | 67 |
The Church of Las Nazarenas | 73 |
The River the Bridge and | 89 |
The Cementerio General | 95 |
Scenes of Everyday | 108 |
Paseo Colón | 162 |
The Grand Boulevards | 171 |
The Expanding Metropolis | 181 |
Pueblo Libre and Surco | 189 |
Miraflores | 197 |
Further Reading 232 | 206 |
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Common terms and phrases
Afro-Peruvians American Andean Andean music Antonio Cisneros APRA Arequipa Avenida Barranco became Bolívar buildings built Callao canción criolla capital Casa cathedral Cercado Chancay chicha Chorrillos church city centre city's Club coastal Colón colonial period country's Creole Creole elites culture dance depicts district economic encomienda established European evokes feature foreign Francisco Francisco Pizarro guano houses huayno immigrants Inca Inca empire independence Indian indigenous inhabitants Jirón José Juan later Lima Lima's Limeñan living Magdalena major mestizos middle classes migrants military Miraflores modern monastery monument Museo Nicolás de Piérola nineteenth century novel paintings Palacio Parque Paseo Pedro Peru Peru's Peruvian Pizarro Plaza Mayor political popular population pre-Hispanic promenade Pueblo Libre region Ricardo Palma Rímac San Isidro San Marcos Santa settlements settlers shanty towns slaves social society Spain Spaniards Spanish square status streets style Surco symbol traditional twentieth century urban viceroy