University Park 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 the historic centre of the city of

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. It is rectangular in shape and is located at the intersection of and avenues.

History

It receives its name because of the historic headquarters of the

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos The National University of San Marcos ( es, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, link=no, UNMSM) is a public research university located in Lima, the capital of Peru. It is considered the most important, recognized and representative educ ...

, also known as the "Casona" and which until the last decades of the 19th century was the home of the

viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

, is located there, currently a cultural center. The university settled in said premises in the mid-1870s, leaving its viceregal headquarters permanently occupied by the Chamber of Deputies (current Congress of the Republic). It would not be until 1966 that San Marcos abandoned said premises due to the damage inflicted on the building by the

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

of that year to its ''Ciudad Universitaria'' campus, which is why the park was the scene of memorable demonstrations and student riots during much of the twentieth century. The construction of the park was carried out at the beginning of the 1920s. During the 1980s and 1990s, after many years of deterioration, the University Park was renovated, building a couple of ornamental pools as well as a perimeter fence. The park features several monuments, as well as the ', a monumental clock gifted to the city by the German colony on the occasion of the

Centennial of the Independence of Peru The Centennial of the Independence of Peru took place on July 28, 1921, as well as in December 9, 1924. To commemorate the hundred years of the country's independence from Spain, large and lavish parties were organized that were supervised and pre ...

, in 1921; likewise, next to the Casona de San Marcos is the

Panteón de los Próceres The Panteón de los Próceres (Spanish for ''Heroes' Pantheon'') is a crypt inside the old Church of the ''Real Convictorio de San Carlos'' (Royal College of San Carlos) that holds the remains of the heroes of the Peruvian War of Independence. Th ...

Monuments

The park is the location of the following monuments: *The ', dedicated to . The sculpture is located at the east end of the park, made of bronze and granite. The sculpture is a work of the Peruvian sculptor José Luis F. Agurto and was inaugurated on September 15, 1924. *The ', dedicated to

Hipólito Unanue José Hipólito Unanue y Pavón (August 13, 1755–July 15, 1833) was a physician, naturalist, meteorologist, cosmographer, the first Minister of Finance of Peru, Minister of Foreign affairs, Protomédico (equivalent to Minister of health comb ...

. This was a precursor of the

independence of Peru The Peruvian War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia del Perú, links=no) consisted in a series of military conflicts in Peru beginning with viceroy Abascal military victories in the south frontier in 1809, in La Paz revolution an ...

as well as a Peruvian politician and doctor. The monument of him located in front of the entrance of the Casona de San Marcos. It's made of

Italian marble The following is a list of various types of marble according to location. (NB: Marble-like stone which is not true marble according to geologists is included, but is indicated by ''italics'' with geologic classification given as footnote. Afri ...

, the work of the Spanish sculptor . It was inaugurated on July 29, 1931. *The ', dedicated to . It's located next to the clock tower. Made of bronze and marble, it was inaugurated in 1922, having been donated by the

Government of Germany The Federal Cabinet or Federal Government (german: link=no, Bundeskabinett or ') is the chief executive body of the Federal Republic of Germany. It consists of the Federal Chancellor and cabinet ministers. The fundamentals of the cabinet's or ...

. The monument is the work of the Spanish sculptor, Gregorio Domingo.

References

{{Landmarks in Lima Squares in Lima Cultural heritage of Peru

History

Monuments

See also

References