Exploring Lima’s Cultural Treasures: A Visit to Lima’s Plaza Mayor (Main Square)

In the heart of the city is Plaza Mayor de Lima (Main Square), known as the birthplace of Lima.  In fact, the area surrounding the Plaza is called the Historic Centre of Lima. You might know Plaza Mayor by another name: Plaza de Armas de Lima.

There were hundreds of people on the square when we got there. I wondered what they were all doing. I can definitely understand why the tourists were there, our group being an example. But why were so many Peruanos there? It seems to be a gathering place, a place to hang out. A place to be seen? I don’t know. Whatever the reason, there sure were a lot of people there.

Main Square (Plaza Mayor)

The Historic Centre of Lima became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. That is where Francisco Pizarro, whom you met in my previous post about touring Lima and the historic Church of San Francisco, founded Lima. It was also where, on 28 July 1821, José de San Martín uttered those famous words, “From this moment on, Perú is free and independent…,” announcing Perú’s declaration of independence from Spain.

At one time, the Plaza Mayor was home to a bull fighting ring, gallows, and a market. What remains in the center of the square now is a fountain (which is actually the second one on that site, not the original) that was inaugurated in 1651. The plaza itself is an open, park-like setting. Framing the plaza are four streets and about eight buildings.

Our guide, Angel, showed us around the Plaza de Armas. Some of the buildings he told us about are:

The Archbishop’s Palace of Lima

The Archbishop’s Palace of Lima (Palacio Arzobispal de Lima) is, you guessed it, the residence of the archbishop of Lima. It is also the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima. The palace is easily identified by its two large, intricately carved, cedar balconies. Lima is well known for these distinctive and distinguishing wooden balconies.

Inside, you’ll admire the cascading white marble staircase. French stained-glass windows in the ceiling let light pour into the building. (I wish we could have explored inside the palace and seen the staircase and ceiling, but, due to time constraints, we were not able to.)

The original building was constructed in 1535. The façade came down, presumably the result of seismic activity, in the late 19^th century. The entire building was later demolished to make way for the new structure. The building we see today was built in the early 20^th century, opening in 1924.

The Archbishop’s Palace adjoins the Cathedral of Lima.

Cathedral of Lima

The Cathedral of Lima (Catedral de Lima) is also called Lima Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de Lima), and The Basilica Metropolitan Cathedral of Lima and Primate of Perú (La Basílica Catedral Metropolitana de Lima y Primada del Perú).

As you can see, this revered structure is known by many names. The Roman Catholic cathedral features twin bell towers. As with many buildings in the Plaza, the cathedral suffered damage from several earthquakes. It has also been expanded a few times. The cathedral, as it stands today, is a reconstruction of the one severely damaged by the 1687 and 1746 earthquakes. As a result, you’ll notice a fusion of architectural styles both inside and outside the building.

Inside are artfully carved wooden choir stalls, kind of like the ones in the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco down the street. Over a dozen unique chapels with their images, paintings, and altarpieces demand to be seen, as well as naves, stunning Gothic-style ribbed vaulted ceilings, and the pulpit with its magnificent gold-plated altar. There is a small fee to go inside the Museum of the Cathedral of Lima, also called the Museum of Religious Art of the Cathedral of Lima.

Story goes that Francisco Pizzaro himself laid the cathedral’s first stone and carried the first wood for its construction. It was built on the site where an Inca shrine once stood. In this case, it was the shrine of Puma Inti and palace of Sinchi Puma that were originally there. (We’d see this practice of the Spanish building churches on top of sacred Inca places again later when we visited Cusco). Pizzaro’s body lies in a crypt inside the church.

Attending mass on Sunday is free. If you’re lucky, you may get to see a concert. I hear that the cathedral is illuminated at night.

Government Palace of Lima

The Government Palace of Lima (Palacio de Gobierno) used to be known as the House of Pizarro. As with many buildings in Perú, this one suffered damage through several earthquakes. The current iteration was constructed in 1938.

The palace is the seat of Peru’s government and home to the country’s president, going back to when the country declared its independence from Spain. It is open to the public, but some areas of the palace may be restricted.

Apparently, there is a changing of the guard at the palace every day at noon. The ceremony, complete with military band, begins at 11:45 a.m. and goes for about 15 to 30 minutes. Unfortunately, we missed this. It sounds like an exciting event, something that would deepen my understanding of and connection to Lima; and to Perú for that matter.

Municipal Palace of Lima

Also called City Hall, the Municipal Palace of Lima serves as the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (website is in Spanish), and is home to the City Council, the Assembly, and Lima’s mayor.

Though the building you see today was built in 1944, its origins date back to the 1600s. It was destroyed several times by earthquakes (noticing a theme yet?), and by fire since then. The original building first went up on this spot three centuries ago; this current building managed to keep many of the original colonial designs from back then.

Inside are some remarkable items. The art gallery features historic paintings and photographs. The library contains the original Charter of Lima and Perú’s Declaration of Independence. Believe it or not, a moon rock supposedly resides there.

Palacio de la Unión is considered by the National Institute of Culture of Perú as a Monument of National Heritage. Club de la Unión Lima (website is in Spanish), a civil association founded in 1868, has called the palace home since 1942.

These are just half of the buildings surrounding the Plaza Mayor. You could easily spend a day here exploring these and the other structures in the plaza, walking through Lima’s historic center, and learning about Lima’s colonial beginnings. Or, maybe just hang out and people-watch for a while.

Pro tip: Want to add to your limeño vocabulary? Jironear (hear-ro-nay-AR) – To walk around the streets of historic Lima via the jirónes, especially Jirón Unión. The term was popular during the mid-1900s, but has become dated and is no longer used. Use “jironear” in a conversation with someone from Lima and see where the exchange leads.

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