The Full Story
Five Centuries of Lima
From conquistador capital to revolutionary stage to modern metropolis — choose an era and dive in.
Capital of Spanish South America (1535–1820)
Founded by Francisco Pizarro on 18 January 1535 as La Ciudad de los Reyes — the City of Kings — Lima quickly became the political, commercial and religious heart of Spanish South America. As capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, it governed territory stretching from Panama to Patagonia.
Silver from the mines of Potosí flowed through Lima's port of Callao on its way to Europe, financing grand churches, palaces and the Universidad de San Marcos (1551), the oldest university in the Americas. The Inquisition, the mint and the merchant guild all called Lima home.
Devastating earthquakes in 1687 and 1746 levelled much of the city — yet each time Lima rebuilt in ever more elaborate baroque style, leaving the historic centre that UNESCO would later protect.
Key Moments
Timeline of the City of Kings
1535
Francisco Pizarro founds La Ciudad de los Reyes on the banks of the Rímac.
1551
Universidad de San Marcos opens — the oldest university in the Americas.
1746
A massive earthquake destroys the city; Lima rebuilds in grand baroque style.
1821
San Martín proclaims Peru's independence in the Plaza Mayor on 28 July.
1824
The Battle of Ayacucho ends Spanish rule in South America.
1988
UNESCO lists the Historic Centre of Lima as a World Heritage Site.