Miraflores, founded as San Miguel de Miraflores, 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, municip ...

of Lima Province, in Peru. A residential and upscale shopping district, it is one of the wealthiest districts that make up the city of

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, located to the south of the city's historic downtown area, as well as one of its main tourist destinations. It was established as a district on January 2, 1857. As a result of the January 1881

Battle of Miraflores The Battle of Miraflores occurred on January 15, 1881 in the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru. It was an important battle during the War of the Pacific that was fought between Chile and the forces of Peru. The Chilean army led by Gen. Manuel ...

fought during the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

, Miraflores is called ''Ciudad Heroica'' ("Heroic City").

Etymology

The city got its present name (meaning “look at the flowers”) because of the nearly year-round bougainvillea bloom, even in the mid-16th century, when it was still an

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

village.

History

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, Miraflores was one of the locations inhabited by members of the ancient

Lima culture The Lima culture was an indigenous civilization which existed in modern-day Lima, Peru during the Early Intermediate Period, extending from roughly 100 to 650. This pre-Incan culture, which overlaps with surrounding Paracas, Moche, and Nasca civ ...

, which preceded the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

. The ''

Huaca Pucllana Huaca Pucllana or Huaca Juliana (possibly from Quechua ''wak'a'' a local shrine to a protector deity, a sacred place, sacred, ''pukllana'' game) is a great adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima, Peru, buil ...

'' (formerly Hispanicized as ''Juliana'') serves as its only remaining remnants in the district, originally much larger in size. Once Spanish rule was established, the area became part of the district of Magdalena Vieja. Established as ''San Miguel de Miraflores'', it takes its name from the

Miraflores Charterhouse Miraflores Charterhouse () is an Isabelline style charterhouse, or Carthusian monastery of the Order of the Carthusians, built on a hill (known as Miraflores) about three kilometres from the center of the Spanish city of Burgos, autonomous commun ...

, having become a district on under the presidency of

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 p ...

and containing a number of estates (Armendáriz, Balconcillo, Barboncito, La Palma, Conde San Isidro, Lince, Limatambo, Santa Cruz and Chacarilla), as well as the lands at Leuro and Ocharán. Miraflores was the site of encounters between

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (; 25 February 177817 August 1850), nicknamed "the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru", was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and central parts of South America's succe ...

and Viceroy Pezuela that took place during the

Peruvian War of Independence The Peruvian War of Independence () was a series of military conflicts in Peru from 1809 to 1826 that resulted in the country's independence from the Spanish Empire. Part of the broader Spanish American wars of independence, it led to the dis ...

, on . During the

, the district was the site of the eponymous battle, where two thousand people died as a result and the district was sacked and burned by the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

. In 1898, it was limited to the north by the lands of the

Surquillo Surquillo is a district located in Lima, Peru. The district is bordered by the districts of San Isidro and San Borja on the north; by Miraflores on the south and west; and by Santiago de Surco on the east. Name origin In times past, this p ...

estate, to the west by Bellavista street, to the east by the railroad tracks that reached Lima and to the south by the first blocks of Larco and Porta streets. As the city of Lima grew, Miraflores was absorbed into its

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

during the early 20th century. Prior to the 1920s, its territory included the current districts of La Victoria (1920), San Isidro (1931), Lince (1936), part of

Santiago de Surco Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as Surco, is a district of Lima, Peru. It is bordered on the north with the district of Ate Vitarte and La Molina; on the east with San Juan de Miraflores, on the west with San Borja, Surquillo, Mira ...

(1944),

(1949), San Luis (1968) and San Borja (1983). During the 1940s, the ''Iglesia Matriz Virgen Milagrosa'' was built next to the district's

central park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

, replacing the original San Miguel de Miraflores Church. On , during the era of terrorism, a

street A street is a public thoroughfare in a city, town or village, typically lined with Building, buildings on one or both sides. Streets often include pavements (sidewalks), pedestrian crossings, and sometimes amenities like Street light, streetligh ...

in the district was targeted in a

terrorist attack Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war a ...

perpetrated by the

Shining Path The Shining Path (, SL), self-named the Communist Party of Peru (, abbr. PCP), is a far-left political party and guerrilla group in Peru, following Marxism–Leninism–Maoism and Gonzalo Thought. Academics often refer to the group as the ...

, which led to a crackdown on Peruvian insurgent groups, culminating in the group's leader being captured on September of the same year.

Geography

The district has a total land area of 9.62 km². Its administrative center is located 79 meters above sea level. Boundaries * North: San Isidro and

* East: Surquillo and

* South: Barranco and Santiago de Surco * West: Pacific Ocean The district is divided into 50 neighborhoods () Climate Miraflores has a marine climate, characterized by mild, humid, and comfortable conditions. Temperatures oscillate from to in winter, and from to in summer. Low clouds are frequent, especially during winter, when morning drizzles are not uncommon. Heavy rain is almost unseen.

Demographics

According to the 2017 national census done by the INEI, the district has 99,337 inhabitants and a population density of 10,326 persons per km² (26,744 persons per sq mile). Miraflores has a high

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

at 0.986 and the lowest population living below the poverty line in Lima at 1.80%.Informacion General
" '' INEI''. Retrieved on 16 September 2017. Along with its northern neighbor, San Isidro, Miraflores is inhabited primarily by upper-class residents and is consistently listed as one of the most expensive districts in the country.

Culture and education

The district has a pre-

mud-brick temple called the

, one of a number of

archeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeology ...

sites found in Lima. Miraflores had 128 private schools and 12 public schools in 2010.

Sister cities

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, since 1964, through the efforts of Captain Harold Grow * Las Condes, CL *

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District,

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since 8 July 2024

References

External links

*
Municipalidad de Miraflores
– Miraflores District Council official website {{Authority control