Anyone who visits the Plaza Mayor in Lima cannot help but be attracted to such an attractive and well-made building. This constitutes one of the best examples of the neocolonial style. Opened in 1924, this palace is a true gem of art.
If the richness of its facade surprised you, you cannot stop seeing its internal rooms. The first level is a museum that boasts a rich collection of religious viceregal art brought from different convents and churches, while the second floor becomes a spectacular walk through the different spaces that make up the archiepiscopal house, such as the dining room, the chapel and the same archiepiscopal office.
Location in the city
The Archbishop's Palace of Lima is located in the Plaza de Armas and on the corner formed by the Junín and Carabaya shreds.
History
Located in the block that Francisco Pizarro designated, after the founding of the city on January 18, 1535, to be the episcopal house, the current building was inaugurated on December 8, 1924, the day of the purísima, as a symbol of the harmony between the Holy Catholic Church and the State, with the Archbishop of Lima being Monsignor Emilio Lissón Chávez and it is considered the first example of the neocolonial architectural style that developed in Lima during the 20th century.
The building was designed by the Polish architect Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski, who took the design of the Torre Tagle Palace as a reference. Erected next to the Church of the Sagrario and the Cathedral of Lima, formerly a quarter of the block was destined for the police, forming the first police station and the first jail in the city. Later, Paul III erected this Temple as the Primate Cathedral Basilica, later as we now know it, the local Archbishopric.
Its other authors were Claude Sahut and the civil engineer Enrique Mogrovejo, builder of the work.
Description of the facade and determination of its style
The facade of the Archbishop's Palace of Lima is of neocolonial architectural style, it presents characteristic elements of the Baroque and it is made entirely of reintegrated stone. Above the central or main door, which is in the Neo-Plateresque style, there are two large balconies, in the Neo-Baroque style, carved in cedar wood and reflecting the sensualism of Andalusia. In the final part topping the building is the granite sculpture of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo patron protector of the Archbishopric, it also has two poles on the facade: one for the Peruvian Flag and another for the Vatican.
Interior description
Inside it is fully ornamented; You can see a very beautiful sculpture of Santa Bárbara patron saint of Cuba, the ceiling is illuminated with a famous stained glass window with French windows that allow light to enter, the stairs, in Empire style, are made of marble and with wooden railings that They give access to the second floor in which there is a chapel with a baroque altar.
Jewel of the colonial past
The Museum is considered a true electronic jewel for finding among its collection paintings that, as I indicated, date from the 16th to the 19th century, but not only that, here you can also find sculptures and furniture from the viceregal period.
From the outside we can also appreciate how great it has been to maintain this museum since we find some carved wooden balconies that seem to be from the colonial era, however, this is not the case since the truth is that they were built during the 20th century. to maintain the aesthetics of the main square and its neocolonial character.
In any case, we cannot deny that the beauty of this Museum is unique since one sees it from the outside and begins to climb its steps to be surprised by the things that one can find here.
The current building dates from 1924, where the elements of the colonial Peruvian and viceregal influence are collected, within its museum you can find an interesting collection of works of art.
Meeting of cultures
The interesting thing about this painting is that it belongs to the Cuzco school, that school that shows the syncretism of the two worldviews, the Andean and the Spanish, we will always be able to notice that what predominates the most is, apart from its gold leaf frame, the image that also has its bright colors and covered in some parts with gold leaf.
His works of art
One of the most important paintings in the Museum is of the Virgin of the "O" from the 16th century where you can notice the width of the hips of the virgin who is pregnant, and it is also implied that the child is inside her.
Another interesting painting is a painting of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception from the 18th century and which belonged to the famous Cuzqueña school, the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception is the patron saint of the Franciscan order and is always represented standing on a half moon where are also the cherubs with their little wings.
The face of the Virgin Mary looking down is very sensitizing, on the other hand you can also find on her cheeks the red colors that represent the people who live in the heights of Peru, the colors with which they stand out the most in This canvas is red and blue, which are the typical colors also of the colors of the indigenous people since colonial times and of the Incas.
On the other hand, we can also have red lips due to the lack of oxygen in the cities of the mountains, in this painting there are also two characters that are San Francisco de Asis, founder of the Franciscan order and Santo Domingo de Guzman, founder of the order. of the Dominicans around the world.
The works of the museum contemplate various works of plastic art, for example you can find a sculpture of the Virgin that has a special style since only the part that is visible is decorated while the inside is in a way without work, his clothing is also very fine as it is found with gold threads.
More than canvases
Furniture is also something interesting that can be found in the museum, such as furniture dating from the 17th century and ending in the 18th century.
On the other hand, in the museum we can also find a collection of the Cuzco school of the life of the Virgin Mary, with animals inspired within Peru such as the Macaws.
Something that we also have to know is that the Museum is the Cultural Heritage of the Nation for its artistic legacy and for the various works of art found within it.
Inside the monument itself we will be able to see that different restorations have been made due to the passage of time and the interventions that have had to be made for its subsistence. The Museum is an interesting point for different restorers who today still continue with the restoration work of the place.
I hope you will soon come to visit the Archbishop's Palace to come here the best way to find yourself is to get to the main square first and next to the Cathedral of Lima you will find the monument of the Archbishop's Palace Museum.
How to get to the Archbishop's Palace of Lima?
If you want to use the public service, you can use the means of transport such as the metropolitan through line C or line A and from there get off at the stop "jirón de la union" you must walk through the jirón de la union in the direction of north until reaching the main square.
Another option a little more distant is to get off at Tacna avenue and get off at the stop of the blue bus that is in said avenue.
Hours of operation
- Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Ticket cost
- Adults S / 15.00
- Students S / 5.00
- Joint ticket (Cathedral and Archbishop's Palace) S / 20.00
The ticket includes a guide in different languages, so if you speak a language other than Spanish, you can take the opportunity to learn about the history of this museum.
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