Pueblo Libre (originally called La Magdalena or Old Magdalena to differentiate it from

Magdalena del Mar District Magdalena del Mar, commonly known simply as Magdalena, is a seaside district of the Lima Province in Peru and one of the districts that comprise the city of Lima. Its current mayor is Carlomagno Chacón Gómez. Magdalena was officially establishe ...

) is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

of the

Lima Province Lima Province is located in the central coast of Peru and is the only province in the country not belonging to any of the twenty-five regions. Its capital is Lima, which is also the nation's capital. Despite its small area, this province is the ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. Its name, which means ''Free Town'' or ''Free People'', was granted by

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 centr ...

on April 10, 1822, as a recognition of the patriotism shown by its inhabitants during the

Peruvian War of Independence 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 ...

. The district was created by law 9162 on November 5, 1940.Alberto Tauro del Pino, ''Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Perú'', vol. XIII, p. 2133. Pueblo Libre is a middle-class residential community and has the most parks in

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, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...

, although it has several branches of banks, local private universities and major corporations.

Background and Landmarks

Pueblo Libre was founded in 1557 as Magdalena Vieja, before being renamed ''Free Town'' (Pueblo Libre in Spanish) in 1821 by

. The name was given because of the great patriotism and desire for freedom San Martin saw from the people. Simón Bolívar, one of the liberators of South America, lived in Pueblo Libre. His colonial mansion is known today as the

Palacio de la Magdalena The Palacio de la Magdalena (Spanish for Magdalena Palace) is a palace in Santander (Cantabria), Spain. Its construction was financed by popular subscription and given to the Spanish Royal Family for use as a summer residence. It was built by ...

, which houses the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru, having formerly housed the Magdalena government of Peru 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 Museum, also known by its initials MNAAHP, has collections of artifacts from Peruvian culture. It is one of the most visited museums in Lima and it is located at the heart of the district. Pueblo Libre has a rich history - museums, famous restaurants, and art galleries which are located in this district of Lima. One of Pueblo Libre's oldest attractions is La Cruz del Viajero (The Cross of the Traveler). The cross was a symbol of faith and protection the conquistadores brought from Spain.

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 ...

placed the cross in Pueblo Libre; soldiers would pray before going to war or when making a hard distant journey. Pueblo Libre is not short of places to eat great Creole food. One restaurant, El Bolivariano, is popular among local families and famous for its weekend buffets, while the historic Antigua Taberna Queirolo, owned by the Santiago Queirolo

pisco Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative ...

makers, serves one of the best authentic food and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. Situated not a long walk from Pueblo Libre's pleasant plaza is the Museo Larco Hererra, which houses the largest collection of Moche artifacts in the country. This museum is known for having one of the best pre-Columbian exhibits in the world. It offers incredible Paracas textiles and a huge collection of

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...

. In the history section of the museum, it documents of the brutality of the Spaniards in the country and of the challenges it has faced since its independence.

Geography

The district has a total land

area Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an ope ...

of 4.38 km². Its administrative center is located 90 meters above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. ;Boundaries * North:

Lima District 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 ...

and Breña District * East: Jesús María District * South:

* West: San Miguel District

Demographics

According to the Census 2017 by the INEI, the district has 83,323 inhabitants.

References

External links

{{Districts of Lima and Callao Districts of Lima

Background and Landmarks

Geography

Demographics

See also

References

External links