Peru - Historic Centre of Lima

Palace of the Archbishopric of Lima.

Sent by Marcos from Lima, Peru.

The historic centre of Lima bears witness to the architecture and urban development of a Spanish colonial town of great political, economic, and cultural importance in Latin American. San Francisco de Lima is an outstanding example of a convent ensemble of the colonial periods in Latin America and, along with Santa Catalina de Arequipa, is one of the most complete.

Lima was founded on 5 January 1535. The city played a leading role in the history of the New World from 1542, when Charles V established the Viceroyalty of Peru there, to the 18th century when the creation of the Viceroyalties of New Granada (1718) and particularly of La Plata gradually put an end to the omnipotence of the oldest Spanish colony on South America.

The demographic change, from the colonial city to today, explains the serious modifications to the urban landscape. Scant trace of the historic centre of Lima can be seen in the present metropolitan area, with the exception of a few remarkable ensembles - the Plaza de Armas (with the cathedral, Sagrario chapel, archbishop's palace), the Plaza de la Vera Cruz with Santo Domingo, and especially the monumental complex of the convent of San Francisco (founded by Emperor Charles V and Francisco Pizarro).

The fortified port of Callao defended the town from attack by sea, while a fortified enceinte was built at the end of the 17th century to protect Lima from potential invaders attacking from inland territories. The University of San Marcos was established in the Peruvian capital in 1551 and the first shop opened in 1584. The town's cultural life was strongly influenced by the many religious orders (monasteries of San Francisco, Santo Domingo, San Augustín and others) founded within it. In the 17th century Lima flourished as an economic and cultural centre.

The historic monuments (religious or public buildings, such as the Torre Tagle palace) which lie within the perimeter of the World Heritage site date from the 17th and 18th centuries and are typical examples of Hispano-American Baroque. The architecture of the other buildings is often representative of the same period. Thus, despite the addition of certain 19th-century constructions (such as Casa Courret in the Art Nouveau style) to the old urban fabric, the historic nucleus of the town recalls Lima at the of the Spanish Kingdom of Peru.

Although urban development in the 20th century - the construction of the Avenida Abancay in 1940 - has whittled away at this immense domain, San Francisco still presents an ensemble of convent buildings that is remarkable for its surface area, its coherence, the beauty of the architecture and the richness of interior decorations. Within the monumental complex are three churches - San Francisco, La Soledad and El Milagro - which connect with a number of communal areas laid out around five cloisters. Most of the buildings date from the 17th century, because the 1655 earthquake destroyed the original buildings, some of which, like the Church of the Miracle (El Milagro), had been built before 1553. The reconstruction undertaken in 1657 owes much to the Portuguese architect Constantino de Vasconcelos, succeeded in 1668 by his disciple Manuel de Escobar, a native of Lima, who protected the Baroque structures against earthquakes by using indigenous techniques: common joists and ribs of wood, vaults and cupolas of earth on reed lattices.

Inside the church, the projections in white on a red ochre background highlight the lovely simplicity of volumes and let the full symphony of the gilt and colour of the Baroque altarpieces burst forth. Several of the most striking features of the convent building (e.g. the main two-storey cloister, the chapter house and the monks' choir, are universally known and admired. Their architectural quality is enhances by splendid decoration: azulejos wall coverings, marble altarpieces, frescoes and paintings, the artesonados ceilings of the cloister, the stalls in the monk' choir and in the chapter house, the woodwork in the sacristy, and others. (Source)

Peru - Market in Pisac-Cusco

Pisac-Cusco, Peru
"Don't bargain honey, I can't come down, how much do you think I make on these onions?"

Sent by Tanya from Lima, Peru.

Peru - Puya de Raymondi

Puya de Raymondi or Puya Raimondii.

Sent by Tanya from Lima, Peru.

This is from Wikipedia : Puya raimondii, also known as Queen of the Andes, is an endemic species of Bolivia and Peru, and whose distribution is restricted to the high Andes at an elevation of 3200 – 4800 m. It was the French scientist Alcide d'Orbigny (1802–1857) who was the first non-native person to discover it in 1830, in the region of Vacas, Cochabamba Department, in Bolivia at an altitude of 3960 m (12,992 ft). The name of Puya raimondii commemorates the Italian scientist Antonio Raimondi (1826–1890), who resided in Peru for many years and made wide botanical explorations there. He discovered this species later in Peru in the region of Chavín de Huantar and published it as Pourretia gigantea in El Perú, Volume 1, Page 297 . In 1928, the name was changed to Puya raimondii by the German botanist Hermann Harms.

This plant has a gigantic inflorescence that may reach up to 10 m height, with more than three thousand flowers and six million seeds in each plant. Its reproductive cycle is approximately 40 years.

One planted near sea level at the University of California Botanical Garden, USA, in 1958 grew to 7,6 m (24 ft 11) in and bloomed as early as August 1986 after only 28 years. It is not only the largest of the Puya species, but also the largest Bromeliad. It can reach 3 m tall in vegetative growth, with a flower spike 9–10 m tall. Like most Bromeliads, it dies soon after flowering. It is considered to be an endangered species. Seeds were collected of P. raimondii in 1999 and 2000 of the rodales of Huashta Cruz (district Pueblo Libre, Ancash region, Peru), near the city of Caraz. It is also known to grow in the Masma Chicche District of Jauja Province.

Only 45 km West from Caraz (Ancash - Peru) at 4200m above sea level, at Huashta Cruz, on the Cordillera Negra, there is a "rodal" of puyas, with an impressive 145 km view of the Cordillera Blanca. The place it's known as "Huinchus" as the presence of the (Patagona Gigas) giant colibri, it's often spotted here. In the area of Catac in Peru there are lots of the famous Puyas Raimondi. On August 10, 2009, these plants were clearly shown signs of an imminent blooming stage. These plants are mainly located in the spacious forests from three important places of Ancash: the gully of Ingenio in Catac, the punas of Cajamarquilla and the gully of Queshque, also in Catac.

In Bolivia - apart from Vacas Municipality where these plants are spread on an area of about 1 km² - the only other place to find Puya raimondii is Comanche mountain in Caquiaviri Canton, Caquiaviri Municipality, Pacajes Province, La Paz Department.

Peru - Andean Kondor (Cóndor Andino)

Andean Kondor, the national bird of Peru.

Sent from England by Sandra.

This is from Wikipedia : The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, it has the largest wingspan (at 3.2 m or 10.5 ft) of any land bird.

It is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird's emotional state. In the male, there is a wattle on the neck and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head. Unlike most birds of prey, the male is larger than the female.

The condor is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It prefers large carcasses, such as those of deer or cattle. It reaches sexual maturity at five or six years of age and nests at elevations of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft), generally on inaccessible rock ledges. One or two eggs are usually laid. It is one of the world's longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 100 years old in captivity.

The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN. It is threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters. Captive breeding programs have been instituted in several countries.

Peru - Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Mysticism, history, living traditions, Machu Picchu, the archaelogical jewel of the Americas, awaits. Cuzco, Peru.

Sent by Tortue, a postcrosser from France. Stamped and postmarked in France.

Note : Still waiting for postcard(s) stamped and postmarked from Peru. Can you help me?

Machu Picchu bears, with Cuzco and the other archaeological sites of the valley of the Urubamba (Ollantautaybo, Runcuracay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupamarca, Huiñay Huayna, Intipucu, etc.) a unique testimony to the Inca civilization. Cuzco and the old villages still retain traces of land occupation from the Inca Empire to preserve, in a more global manner, an archaeological heritage which has become susceptible to the effects of urbanization. Furthermore, Macchu Picchu is an outstanding example of man's interaction with his natural environment.

Standing 2,430 m above sea level, in the midst of a tropical mountain forest in an extraordinarily beautiful setting, Machu Picchu was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height. Its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Machu Picchu covers 32,500 ha in some of the scenically most attractive mountainous territory of the Peruvian Andes. As the last stronghold of the Incas and of superb architectural and archaeological importance, Machu Picchu is one of the most important cultural sites in Latin America; the stonework of the site remains as one of the world's great examples of the use of a natural raw material to provide outstanding architecture which is totally appropriate to the surroundings. The surrounding valleys have been cultivated continuously for well over 1,000 years, providing one of the world's greatest examples of a productive man-land relationship; the people living around Machu Picchu continue a way of life which closely resembles that of their Inca ancestors, being based on potatoes, maize and llamas. Machu Picchu also provides a secure habitat for several endangered species, notably the spectacled bear, one of the most interesting species in the area. Others animals include: dwarf brocket, the otter, long-tailed weasel, pampas cat and the vulnerable ocelot, boa, the Andean cock of the rock, and the Andean condor.

The natural vegetation is of humid and very humid lower montane forest of the subtropical region, mainly with genera and ferns of the Cyathea and palms.

Set on the vertiginous site of a granite mountain sculpted by erosion and dominating a meander in the Rio Urubamba, Machu Picchu is a world renowned archaeological site. The construction of this amazing city, set out according to a very rigorous plan, comprises one of the most spectacular creations of the Inca Empire. It appears to date from the period of the two great Incas, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui (1438-71) and Tupac Inca Yupanqui (1472-93). The function of this city situated at least 100 km from the capital, Cuzco, has not been formulated which are not verifiable given the absence of written documentation and sufficiently explicit material evidence.

Without making a judgement as to their purpose, several quite individual quarters may be noted in the ruins of Machu Picchu: a quarter 'of the Farmers' near the colossal terraces whose slopes were cultivated and transformed into hanging gardens; an 'industrial' quarter; a 'royal' quarter and a 'religious' quarter. Inca architecture reveals itself here in all of its force with the titanic earthen works which multiplied the platforms, levelled the rocky relief, constructed ramps and stairways and literally sculpted the mountain whose cyclopean constructions appear to be a prolongation of nature. (Source)