2025-05-20 | Cultural Heritage
Historic Centre of Lima Cultural Heritage
Inscription: 12th Session of the World Heritage Committee. Brasilia, September 5, 1988.
Extension of the Inscribed Area: 15th Session of the World Heritage Committee. Cartago, December 9, 1991.
The Historic Centre of Lima is located in the Rímac valley and was founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in January 1535. Lima was the political, administrative, religious, and economic capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the most important city of the Spanish domains in South America. The evangelization process at the end of the 16th century allowed the arrival of several religious orders and the construction of churches and convents. The University of San Marcos, the oldest in the Americas, was founded on May 12, 1551, and began its operations on January 2, 1553, in the Convent of Santo Domingo.
In the historic centre of Lima, one can appreciate: the Plaza Mayor with the Cathedral, the Sagrario Chapel, the Archbishop's Palace, the Church of Santo Domingo, and the San Francisco Convent. Also, several public works built during the colonial period such as the stone bridge over the Rímac River, the Paseo de Aguas, the Alameda de los Descalzos, the Acho Bullring, and the General Cemetery called Presbítero Maestro. The architecture is characterized by facades, corridors, patios, and balconies with slight stylistic variations during the republican period until the late 19th century, when urban “modernization” and new European architecture began.
Integrity: Although seriously damaged by the earthquakes of 1940, 1966, 1970, and 1974, the Historic Centre of Lima retains all the elements and physical features that convey its Outstanding Universal Value, in an area that includes not only the urban layout but also testimonies of civil domestic, public, religious, military, and industrial architecture from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Authenticity: The authenticity of the Historic Centre of Lima remains intact as it largely preserves the original characteristics of its urban foundation design, and the expansion area from the 16th to the 19th centuries, including ancient pre-Hispanic roads leading north (Chinchaysuyo) and east (Antisuyo). Public, private, and religious buildings retain their architectural, technological, typological, aesthetic, historical, and urban values, reflecting the implementation of European styles from different stages of the city's historical evolution from the 16th to the 20th century.
Protection and management requirements: Aside from natural deterioration affecting the material integrity of buildings, the Historic Centre of Lima faces additional factors degrading it environmentally and urbanely, such as commercial exploitation in old structure areas to build “shopping centers,” and the heavy presence of public and private transportation causing pollution. Another factor is the population increase due to migration from other regions of the country to the Historic Centre (1940: 400,000; 1990: 7,000,000 inhabitants).
The Historic Centre of Lima is protected by the Political Constitution of the State; Law No. 28296, General Law of Cultural Heritage of the Nation; Resolution No. 2900 of 1972 declaring it a Monumental Zone with buildings of patrimonial value as National Monuments; Ministerial Resolutions No. 505-74-ED (1974), No. 0928-80-ED (1980), and No. 1251-1985-ED (1985). The Metropolitan Municipality of Lima shares the responsibility of managing the Historic Centre of Lima with the Municipality of the Rímac District. The Ministry of Culture is in charge of preserving the nation's cultural heritage and has an Urban Control Office and the Municipal Real Estate Company of Lima (EMILIMA) responsible for planning and preparing management projects such as the Metropolitan Development Plan and the Historic Centre of Lima Plan (1987), which establish basic guidelines, interventions, and projects related to urban situation and structure, environment, land use, transportation system, habitability, and dynamics.
Extension of the Inscribed Area: 15th Session of the World Heritage Committee. Cartago, December 9, 1991.
The Historic Centre of Lima is located in the Rímac valley and was founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in January 1535. Lima was the political, administrative, religious, and economic capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the most important city of the Spanish domains in South America. The evangelization process at the end of the 16th century allowed the arrival of several religious orders and the construction of churches and convents. The University of San Marcos, the oldest in the Americas, was founded on May 12, 1551, and began its operations on January 2, 1553, in the Convent of Santo Domingo.
In the historic centre of Lima, one can appreciate: the Plaza Mayor with the Cathedral, the Sagrario Chapel, the Archbishop's Palace, the Church of Santo Domingo, and the San Francisco Convent. Also, several public works built during the colonial period such as the stone bridge over the Rímac River, the Paseo de Aguas, the Alameda de los Descalzos, the Acho Bullring, and the General Cemetery called Presbítero Maestro. The architecture is characterized by facades, corridors, patios, and balconies with slight stylistic variations during the republican period until the late 19th century, when urban “modernization” and new European architecture began.
Integrity: Although seriously damaged by the earthquakes of 1940, 1966, 1970, and 1974, the Historic Centre of Lima retains all the elements and physical features that convey its Outstanding Universal Value, in an area that includes not only the urban layout but also testimonies of civil domestic, public, religious, military, and industrial architecture from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Authenticity: The authenticity of the Historic Centre of Lima remains intact as it largely preserves the original characteristics of its urban foundation design, and the expansion area from the 16th to the 19th centuries, including ancient pre-Hispanic roads leading north (Chinchaysuyo) and east (Antisuyo). Public, private, and religious buildings retain their architectural, technological, typological, aesthetic, historical, and urban values, reflecting the implementation of European styles from different stages of the city's historical evolution from the 16th to the 20th century.
Protection and management requirements: Aside from natural deterioration affecting the material integrity of buildings, the Historic Centre of Lima faces additional factors degrading it environmentally and urbanely, such as commercial exploitation in old structure areas to build “shopping centers,” and the heavy presence of public and private transportation causing pollution. Another factor is the population increase due to migration from other regions of the country to the Historic Centre (1940: 400,000; 1990: 7,000,000 inhabitants).
The Historic Centre of Lima is protected by the Political Constitution of the State; Law No. 28296, General Law of Cultural Heritage of the Nation; Resolution No. 2900 of 1972 declaring it a Monumental Zone with buildings of patrimonial value as National Monuments; Ministerial Resolutions No. 505-74-ED (1974), No. 0928-80-ED (1980), and No. 1251-1985-ED (1985). The Metropolitan Municipality of Lima shares the responsibility of managing the Historic Centre of Lima with the Municipality of the Rímac District. The Ministry of Culture is in charge of preserving the nation's cultural heritage and has an Urban Control Office and the Municipal Real Estate Company of Lima (EMILIMA) responsible for planning and preparing management projects such as the Metropolitan Development Plan and the Historic Centre of Lima Plan (1987), which establish basic guidelines, interventions, and projects related to urban situation and structure, environment, land use, transportation system, habitability, and dynamics.