Jirón de la Unión
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The Jirón de la Unión, or Union Street, is a pedestrian street located in the
Historic Centre of Lima Located principally in the city centre or Cercado de Lima and Rímac areas, the Historic Centre of Lima is among the most important tourist destinations in Peru. Foundation The city of Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded by Francisco Piz ...
, part of the capital of Peru. For many decades it was the most important boulevards of the city, often described as the most aristocratic, where many of the most affluent citizens of the city and most powerful men around the world would meet. Subsequently, with the deterioration of the center of Lima, the Jirón de la Unión lost its aristocratic character and became completely commercialized.


History

The Jirón de la Unión was built by
Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ;  – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of Peru. Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...
in 1535 the year of the foundation 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 ...
. It is located on the western side of the
Plaza de Armas The ''Plaza de Armas'' (literally Weapons Square, but better translated as Parade Square or parade ground) is the name for Latin American main squares. In the central region of Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo and in Central America as ...
. It was not until the early 20th century however, that it was given its current name. In 1535, The founder 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 ...
,
Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ;  – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of Peru. Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...
, designated a lot on this street to contain the
City 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 ...
; the current city hall still retains that same location. It is also one of the roads that surrounds the Palace of Government of Peru. In 1862, with the adoption of a new system of nomenclature, the street ceased to be the axis on which the city was planned on. Thus, streets intersecting with the Jirón de la Unión had two separate names, one for their west side and another for the east. At the start of the republican era, the Jirón de la Unión developed various pubs and restaurants as well as imported goods stores and jewelers. This caused upper-class Limans to frequent this roadway. Until the 1950s, the term ''irse a jironear'' was used when coming to the street in dress clothing. At this time, citizens of Lima at the most distinguished cultural, political, artistic and social levels could be found in the street's various cafés. As Peruvian writer
Abraham Valdelomar Pedro Abraham Valdelomar Pinto (April 27, 1888 - November 3, 1919) was a Peruvian narrator, poet, journalist, essayist and dramatist; he is considered the founder of the avant-garde in Peru, although more for his dandy-like public poses and his f ...
once said, "Peru is Lima, Lima is the Jirón de la Unión, the Jirón de la Unión is the Palais Concert, and I am the Palais Concert". This phrase well reflects the impact this street had on the economic and social aspects of the city's daily life. In the 1970s, the third through ninth blocks of the street were restricted solely for pedestrian use. In the 1980s, the
Historic Centre of Lima Located principally in the city centre or Cercado de Lima and Rímac areas, the Historic Centre of Lima is among the most important tourist destinations in Peru. Foundation The city of Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded by Francisco Piz ...
suffered through a period of decadence in which the economic recession and the increase of crime drove away visitors. At this time, the Jirón was converted into a commercial emporium with a great quantity of abandoned store property and a large number of street sellers. It was not until the next decade until the reorganization of the historic center took place at the orders of the mayor Alberto Andrade Carmona which allowed the Jirón to reactivate its economy. Currently, the Jirón de la Unión has returned to being a commercial center; however, it has long lost its aristocratic character. The last change that has been made is the demolition of the concrete benches placed in the 1970s that were built with the intent to pedestrianize the road. These have been replaced with new benches inscribed with the coat of arms of each of the different
departments of Peru According to the ''Organic Law of Regional Governments'', the regions ( es, regiones) are, with the departments, the first-level administrative subdivisions of Peru. Since its Peruvian War of Independence, 1821 independence, Peru had been divided ...
.


Old names for the Jirón de la Unión

From the foundation 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 ...
, and until 1862, streets had a different name for each individual block. In this sense, one avenue in reality was made up of a variety of different streets. For this reason, before it was called the Jirón de la Unión, each of its eleven blocks had a different name. *Block 1: named Puente de Piedra for the bridge that was built there and which unites downtown
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 ...
with the Rimac District. *Block 2: named Palace for the Palace of Government of Peru which is located on this block *Block 3: named Portal of the Scribes as the city hall was located on this block as well as the scribes offices during the
Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
. *Block 4: named Mercaderes for the large amount of commerce conducted on this street *Block 5: named Espaderos for the various establishments for the fabrication and sale of swords and other knives which, in the 17th century, existed on this block. *Block 6: named La Merced for the Church of La Merced which is located on this block *Block 7: named Baquijano. Until the end of the 18th century, this block was called ''Gurmendi'' because the estate of Don Bernardo de Gurmendi, who was a member of the king's court, was located on this block. In 1730 it was renamed Baquijano because the manor of the don Juan Bautista de Baquijano y Urigoen was erected there *Block 8: named Boza because the house of the Marquese of Boza was located there *Block 9: named Plaza Micheo for the plaza located there *Block 10: named Belen. In 1613 this block was named Paula Piraldo, whose estate occupied this location. In 1842, the land was sold to the monks of the Heart of Jesus and Maria who established the Belen School at this location *Block 11: Named Juan Simon. Occupied what constituted as the city limit and intersected with the Lima City Walls. It was named for Juan Simon, a land owner


Route

The Jirón de la Unión begins its route at the
Rimac river The Recreation, Intramural, and Athletic Complex (RIMAC, ) is a sports complex at the University of California San Diego comprising an arena, a weight room and various other event and athletic facilities. It is one of the largest college athleti ...
. The
Puente de Piedra Puente de Piedra (The Bridge of Stone), is a bridge in Lima, Peru in South America. It was built in 1608 by the architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means t ...
, also known as the Puente Trujillo as it is a continuation of Trujillo Street in the Rimac District, is considered part of the Jirón and is one of the oldest and most important bridges which cross the river. The eastern wall of the Government Palace is located on the west side of the second block of the Jirón. Meanwhile, the Passage of the Post is located on the east side and the Post Office is located there as well. The Park of the Flag is located at the end of this block where a statue of
Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ;  – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of Peru. Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...
, donated by
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, was previously located. The mayor,
Luis Castañeda Lossio Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archaic ...
, removed the statue and transferred it to the Lima City Walls Park. To replace it, he ordered a fountain be built with the addition of a
flag of Peru The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1824, and modified in 1950. According to the article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband (flag), triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Dependi ...
. The
Plaza de Armas The ''Plaza de Armas'' (literally Weapons Square, but better translated as Parade Square or parade ground) is the name for Latin American main squares. In the central region of Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo and in Central America as ...
of Lima is located on the third block accompanied by palaces of City Hall and the Club de la Unión. The Santa Rosa Passage intersects this block which divides both palaces and where several restaurants and a museum are located. On the fourth block, the street becomes exclusively pedestrian and various clothing and footwear shops can be found. On the fifth block the department store
Saga Falabella Falabella is a Chilean multinational company. It is the largest retail company in Chile followed by Cencosud and one of the largest in Latin America. It operates its flagship Falabella department stores in addition to Mall Plaza shopping center ...
is located. The Cathedral of La Merced is located on the sixth block as well as the smaller Plazoleta de La Merced church, where in 1821,
José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...
declared 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 ...
, which is commemorated by a bronze statue. A monument to the former
Peruvian president The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
Ramón Castilla Ramón Castilla y Marquesado (; 31 August 1797 – 30 May 1867) was a Peruvian ''caudillo'' who served as President of Peru three times as well as the Interim President of Peru (Revolution Self-proclaimed President) in 1863. His earliest pr ...
is located on the square. On the same square, a plaque commemorates
Fernando Belaúnde Terry Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
's march of protest against the
National Jury of Elections The National Jury of Elections (''Jurado Nacional de Elecciones'', JNE) of Peru is an autonomous constitutional organ, headquartered in Lima. Its goal is to oversee the legality of electoral processes, guaranteeing the respect for the population' ...
, which did not register his candidacy for the presidency until sixteen days before the national elections. The block ends with the Interbank corporate headquarters located in an early republic building. A
Saga Falabella Falabella is a Chilean multinational company. It is the largest retail company in Chile followed by Cencosud and one of the largest in Latin America. It operates its flagship Falabella department stores in addition to Mall Plaza shopping center ...
department store is also located on this block. After the intersection with Emancipation Avenue, the seventh block is the location of the since-demolished Palais Concert. After this block, the Jirón is made up of casinos and restaurants. The ninth block his home to a Cineplanet and the commercial galleries of Via Vento and Boza, which are deteriorated and semi-vacant. The first
escalators An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
of
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 ...
were built at Boza in the 1960s. On this block
tattoo parlor A tattoo artist (also tattooer or tattooist) is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a "tattoo shop", "tattoo studio" or "tattoo parlour". Tattoo artists usually learn their craft via an ...
s and piercing shops begin to appear more frequently. Previously this was the location of the headquarters of the newspaper La Prensa until it was closed down in the 1980s. The ninth block borders the eastern side of the Plaza San Martin and passes by the
Club Nacional Club Nacional is a Paraguayan professional football club based in the neighbourhood of Obrero in Asunción. Founded in 1904, the club currently plays in the Paraguayan Primera División, and holds its home games at Estadio Arsenio Erico. Inte ...
and the Gran Hotel Bolívar. There are bureaus de change located on the northeastern corner of the plaza. The tenth and eleventh blocks are the least traversed of any of the other blocks, and there are a greater number of restaurants and travel agencies. The Rimac Building is located on the last block of the Jirón de la Unión marking the beginning of Roosevelt Avenue to the east, Bolivia Avenue to the west, and the commencement of the
Paseo de la República Paseo may refer to: * a ''paseo'', a promenade, esplanade or public avenue. * ''Paseo'', a euphemism for a ride to summary execution during the White Terror during the Spanish Civil War Parkways and malls * The Paseo (Kansas City, Missouri), a p ...
expressway and Paseo de los Héroes Navales.


See also

*
Historic Centre of Lima Located principally in the city centre or Cercado de Lima and Rímac areas, the Historic Centre of Lima is among the most important tourist destinations in Peru. Foundation The city of Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded by Francisco Piz ...
*
Downtown Lima Lima is a district of Lima Province in Peru. Lima district is the oldest in Lima Province and as such, vestiges of the city's colonial era remain today in the historic centre of Lima, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and ...


References

* Bromley, Juan. ''Las viejas calles de Lima''. Lima: Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima. Gerencia de Educación, Cultura y Deportes. Edilibros; 2005.


External links

*
"Nueva forma de jironear por la Unión"
newspaper article by El Comercio {{DEFAULTSORT:Jiron de la Union
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
Pedestrian malls