Day 22, Part I: The Cathedral of Lima

Peru is a country that is steeped in rich and varied history, most of which we have never heard about, whether in school or otherwise. Many civilizations have inhabited this country for over 3,500 years. Some of the largest and most successful civilizations were the Inca, Nasca, Wari, and Lima civilizations. Don’t worry. I do not intend on giving you a full history of all of these groups, nor could I. I do not know the history enough to be able to give a long spiel. However, all of these civilizations were distinctly different, in terms of their art, ceramics, weapons, clothing, and general way of life. All of them lived off of the land, and celebrated their resources to the utmost degree.

The Peruvian civilizations were spread out through the main sections of Peru, namely the coastal desert, highlands, and rainforest. Most of us have heard about the Incas whose stronghold was located in the Andes Mountains in and around the city of Cusco. Their fortress city, Machu Picchu, is located near Cusco. Interestingly enough, the Spanish conquistadors of the 1500’s, led by Francisco Pizarro, never found Machu Picchu. It was too well hidden within the mountains. But I will leave the details of the Inca civilization until I visit Cusco and Machu Picchu, right before I return to the States.

The capital city of Peru, Lima, which is on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, has a long and enthralling history. On Friday, I visited the Cathedral of Lima, the backbone of the Roman Catholic Church in Peru. Over the years, the Cathedral has been rebuilt several times - in different styles, no less - that have given this building a unique and varied architecture.

When Francisco Pizarro took control of Peru in 1532, he toured the country looking for a capital city. On January 18, 1535, Pizarro decided on Lima. He thought that Lima was the perfect location for a capital city because it was on the central coast. (He decided against Cusco because its mountain location proved too remote to rule the whole country from.) In that same year, Pizarro assigned a specific lot in which the main church of Lima was to be built. The construction of the first church, which would be classified as only a chapel by today’s standards, was completed in 1540. Francisco Pizarro was buried in this church after he was assassinated on June 26, 1541.

The Archbishop of Lima soon realized that this chapel would not be big enough. He therefore commissioned the building of a larger church on the same plot of land, which was inaugurated in 1551. This second church was not destined to be left untouched for a long amount of time. The church was rebuilt for a third time, the body of which was completed in 1622. Apparently, the Archbishop and his designers could not make up their minds. Today, the Cathedral is characterized by many styles of architecture that also soared through the rest of Lima, namely gothic-elizabethan, renaissance, baroque, neoclassical, and neocolonial.

Today, the Cathedral serves as a museum during the week, with many religious artifacts being displayed. Besides the main altar, the Cathedral also houses 14 chapels (with, of course, many different styles of architecture on display). On the weekends, regular Masses are held. The Cathedral of Lima is absolutely one of the hallmarks of this city with a central location on the main Plaza de Armas, right across the street from the Presidential Palace and the City Hall. It is a beautiful building and will hopefully be celebrated for many years to come.

Francisco Pizarro's tomb:

View of the inside of the Cathedral: