Rimac

Heading north from the Plaza Mayor along Jirón de la Unión, you pass the Casa Aliaga , at no. 224, an unusual mansion occupied by the same family since 1535 and reputed to be the oldest in South America. It's one of the most elaborate mansions in the country, with sumptuous reception rooms full of Louis XIV mirrors, furniture, and doors. You need to call in advance to arrange a visit (tel 427-6624; $3), or book a tour through one of the tour companies. Continuing up Jirón de la Unión, it's a short walk to the Puente de Piedra , the stone bridge which arches over the Río Rimac - usually no more than a miserable trickle - behind the Palacio de Gobierno. Initially a wooden construction, today's bridge was built in the seventeenth century, using egg whites to improve the consistency of its mortar. Its function was to provide a permanent link between the centre of town and the district of San Lazaro, known these days as Rimac , or, more popularly, as Bajo El Puente ("below the bridge"). This zone was first populated in the sixteenth century by African slaves, newly imported and awaiting purchase by big plantation owners; a few years later Rimac was beleaguered by outbreaks of leprosy. Although these days its status is much improved, Rimac is still one of the most run-down areas of Lima and can be quite an aggressive place at night - unfortunate, since some of the best peñas are located down here. However, a one-hour guided tour (Sat & Sun 10am-9pm, departing every 15min) through old Rimac and up to the top of San Cristobal departs from outside Santo Domingo monastery and is a good and safe way to see many of Rimac's rather run-down sites. It's best in the afternoons, when the visibility is generally better.

Rimac is also home to the Plaza de Acho , on Hualgayoc 332, Lima's most important bullring, which also houses the Museo Taurino , or Bullfight Museum (Mon-Fri 8am-3pm; $1.50), containing some original Goya engravings, several interesting paintings, and a few relics of bullfighting contests. A few blocks to the right of the bridge, you can stroll up the Alameda de los Descalzos , a fine tree-lined walk designed for courtship, and an afternoon meeting place for the early seventeenth-century elite. It leads past the foot of a distinctive hill, the Cerro San Cristobal, and, although in desperate need of renovation, it still possesses twelve appealing marble statues brought from Italy in 1856, each one representing a different sign of the zodiac. At the far end of the Alameda a fine, low Franciscan monastery, El Convento de los Descalzos (Mon-Sat 9.30am-1pm & 3-5.30pm; $1.50 including a 40min guided tour), houses a collection of colonial and Republican paintings from Peru and Ecuador, and its Chapel of El Carmen possesses a beautiful Baroque gold-leaf altar. Founded in 1592, the monastery was situated in what was then a secluded spot beyond the town, protected from earthquakes by the Cerro San Cristobal

LIMA INFO 2008
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