Miraflores Central Park ( es, Parque Central de Miraflores), also known as Miraflores Park ( es, Parque de Miraflores), is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to re ...

located in Miraflores,

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It is divided into two parks: John F. Kennedy Park ( es, Parque John F. Kennedy) and 7 June Park ( es, Parque 7 de Junio). The former gives the entire park complex its popular name, Kennedy Park. The park is known for its large presence of street cats, and is commonly used for events such as

book fair A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...

s and

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

s, as well as '' Fiestas Patrias'' celebrations such as the ''Corso Wong'', and political and social protests.

History

The area that houses the park today saw conflict during the battle of Lima during the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

. The park's official name was established in 1900 and has remained since. The area did not see much development until the construction of the ''Iglesia Matriz Virgen Milagrosa''

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

in the 1940s, after which it expanded around its area, eventually being divided into two parks: the John F. Kennedy Park, named after

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

for his role in the

Alliance for Progress The Alliance for Progress ( es, Alianza para el Progreso, links=no), initiated by U.S. President John F. Kennedy on March 13, 1961, ostensibly aimed to establish economic cooperation between the U.S. and Latin America. Governor Luis Muñoz Marín ...

, and the 7 June Park, named after the

Battle of Arica The Battle of Arica, also known as ''Assault and Capture of Cape Arica'', was a battle in the War of the Pacific. It was fought on 7 June 1880, between the forces of Chile and Peru. After the Battle of Tacna and the following Bolivian withdr ...

of the

. In the 1990s, the area was reportedly

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

d by rats, which caused local residents to start leaving their

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

s in the park, with the latter eventually replacing the former in large numbers. The presence of cats today serve as a tourist attraction. A

bust Bust commonly refers to: * A woman's breasts * Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders * An arrest Bust may also refer to: Places * Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France *Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically Media * ''Bust'' (magazin ...

of Kennedy is featured in the homonymous park, having been inaugurated on November 21, 2003, by then mayor of Miraflores Fernando Andrade Carmona on the occasion of twinning Miraflores with

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Also featured in the park is an

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

of singer

Chabuca Granda María Isabel Granda Larco (3 September 1920 – 8 March 1983), better known as Chabuca Granda, was a Peruvian singer and composer. She created and interpreted a vast number of Criollo waltzes with Afro-Peruvian rhythms. Granda's "La flor de la ...

. Between 2015 and 2016, during the second administration of mayor of Miraflores Jorge Muñoz Wells, a 4-story underground

parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

was built, inaugurated on December 15, 2016, thus eliminating parking lots on adjoining avenues and widening the sidewalks. In 2019, the park was the start and finish line of a

that took place as part of the larger

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

for both men and women.

Gallery

Municipalidad miraflores.jpg,

Town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

seen from Larco Avenue Lima trip 2012 06.jpg, One of many street cats in the park Lima - Perú (20691400536).jpg, Entrance of 7 June Park Iglesia Virgen Milagrosa, Miraflores - panoramio (259).jpg, Virgen Milagrosa church Estatua de JFK Lima 01.jpg, Bust of John F. Kennedy

References

{{coord, -12.1211, -77.0298, format=dms, type:landmark_region:PE, display=title Parks in Peru Memorials to John F. Kennedy War of the Pacific

History

Gallery

See also

References