Archbishop's Palace of Lima

The Archbishop's Palace of Lima, the capital of Peru, is the residence of the Archbishop of Lima, and the administrative headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima. It is located on the Plaza Mayor of Lima, in the Historic Centre of Lima.

The palace is also headquarters to the offices of the cardinal of Peru who is Juan Luis Cipriani, who is also the archbishop of Lima.

History

Located on the land that Francisco Pizarro allocated to be the residence of the head priest of Lima after the foundation of the city in 1535, the current building was opened on December 8, 1924 and is considered a prime example of neo-colonial architectural that developed in Lima during the early twentieth century. [es Arqandina, El Portal Peruano de Arquitectura, [http://www.arqandina.com/pages/p3/f306.htm "El Palacio Arzobispal"] ]

The palace was designed by the Polish Peruvian architect Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski, who used the Torre Tagle Palace as a reference point. Erected joined to the Cathedral of Lima, the location formerly belonged to the city's first police station and the city's first jail. After Pope Paul III designated this temple as the primary church headquarters of the city, the location became the current ubication of the Archdiocese.

The facade is made up of baroque elements, completely made of reintegrated rock; ornate cedar balconies are located over the main doors, and the palace is finished by a granite sculpture of Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo the patron protector of the Archdiocese. The palace also consists of two flagpoles, one for the Peruvian flag and another for flag of the Vatican. The interior is completely ornated and is home to a sculpture of Santa Barbara the patron of Cuba. The ceiling is illuminated by famous French stained glass windows allowing the entry of light. The interior also contains marble staircases with wooden handrails which allow access to the second story.

References

See also

* Balconies of Lima