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LenR
LenR
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4 out of 5
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Lima Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace

  • June 30, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by LenR from Townsville, Australia
Lima Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace

One of the undoubted highlights of Lima is the cathedral and adjacent Archbishop’s Palace. We headed here on our first day in Lima and we were certainly not disappointed. What helped to enhance the experience was a military parade which travelled around the square, stopping in front of this grand building. It was a very poignant moment for us both.

The Basilica Cathedral of Lima is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Plaza des Armas in downtown Lima. Construction began in 1535, and the building has undergone many reconstructions and transformation since, however, it still retains its colonial structure and facade. The layout for this immense structure was dictated by Francisco Pizarro and his basic vision has survived despite extensive rebuilds after earthquakes in 1746 and 1940. The first church on the site was completed in 1625 and is said to be designed on the model of Seville Cathedral in Spain.

The interior of the cathedral is attractive, with a delicate vaulted ceiling and a checkerboard floor. It is embellished with some impressive baroque furnishings, the most notable of which are the intricately carved choir stalls. Because of changing tastes, the main altar was replaced around 1800 with one in a neoclassical style. At about the same time the towers that flank the entrance were added.

Perhaps the highlight of a visit to the cathedral is the colorfully mosaiced chapel containing the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistador, destroyer of the Inca Empire and founder of the city of Lima. There is also a small museum of religious art and artefacts. There are 15 smaller chapels within the larger cathedral structure, each of which is dedicated to a different saint or religious figure.

Despite its appearance, I believe the exquisitely balconied Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop's Palace) to the left of the cathedral in Plaza de Armas is a relatively modern building, dating from 1924. The palace was designed by the Polish Peruvian architect Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski, who used the Torre Tagle Palace as a reference point. The site previously was occupied by the city’s first police station and jail. The palace is also headquarters to the offices of the cardinal of Peru who is also the archbishop of Lima.

From journal Around Lima's Main Square

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