Plaza Limacpampa, Historical square in Cusco District, Peru
Plaza Limacpampa, also called Limaqpampa Grande, lies at the eastern end of Cusco's historic center, where Tullumayo and Cultura avenues meet Arcopunco Street. A monument to the city's founders stands in the middle of the square. On its north side is the Doris Vera Hermoza initial school, known as Jardín 88.
This plaza originated in pre-Hispanic times and gained National Cultural Heritage status in 1972. UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage site a decade later, affirming its importance to Cusco's past.
The name joins two Quechua words: rimac, to speak, and pampa, open space. Historians Víctor Angles, Ángel Carreño and Luis E. Valcárcel record that Cusco's population gathered here to hear the Inca's orders and news of the empire, and that travellers from Sicuani arrived at this point.
Plaza Limacpampa is one of the few vehicle entry points into Cusco's historic center, receiving traffic from Avenida de la Cultura toward Avenida Tullumayo, so expect heavy congestion. On foot, it marks the eastern boundary of the old core. The on-site museum created after the 2008 Inca wall find is on the square itself.
Inca walls were discovered beneath the plaza during water system maintenance work in 2008. This finding led to the creation of an on-site museum displaying the archaeological remains.
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