Lima Peru Plaza de Armas

The main square of Lima is known as the Plaza de Armas. It’s in the center of the old town. It’s where all the action starts for people who want to understand the history of Lima. Around the Plaza exist a grid of crowded streets, many of them pedestrian, that were laid out in the days of Francisco Pizarro. Included on those streets are many of the main tourist attractions of Lima. On the square is the Cathedral and the Palacio de Gobierno, residence of Peru’s president. The Plaza de Armas was the center the settlement founded by Pizarro in 1535. It was also the seat of government of the continent-wide empire ruled by the Spanish. Unfortunately, due to earthquakes, none of the original buildings survived. The only remaining feature is a fountain erected in 1650.