Casa Aliaga, Lima, Colonial mansion near Plaza Mayor, Lima, Peru.
Casa Aliaga is a colonial house in the historic centre of Lima, built from quincha and adobe on a huaca. Its architecture is eclectic, combining Renaissance, Mannerist, Baroque and Neoclassical elements added over centuries. Inside are 18 rooms with period furniture and furnishings.
The house dates to May 1536, when Lima was being founded, and belonged to Jerónimo de Aliaga y Ramírez. The 1746 Lima–Callao earthquake destroyed it, and Juan José Aliaga y Sotomayor rebuilt it; further works followed in the 19th century. It was built on a huaca and is now owned by Gonzalo Jorge de Aliaga Ascenzo, VIII Count of San Juan de Lurigancho.
The mansion displays religious paintings from the Cusco School, showing the artistic tastes of Lima's colonial upper class. These works hang throughout the rooms and reveal the spiritual values that shaped this family's life.
The house stands in the historic centre of Lima, declared a World Heritage Site in 1991 and a Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 1972. Access is by guided visit, so arrange it through official channels before travelling. The building is a private family residence, so only the rooms opened for the tour can be seen.
Seventeen generations of the Aliaga family have lived here over five centuries, from conquistador Jeronimo de Aliaga to the current owner, Gonzalo Jorge de Aliaga Ascenzo, VIII Count of San Juan de Lurigancho. The house stands on a huaca, a pre-Hispanic sacred site, and was rebuilt after the 1746 Lima-Callao earthquake by Juan Jose Aliaga y Sotomayor.
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