Pueblo Libre (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

for "free village" or "free nation"), formerly known as La Magdalena and commonly known as Old Magdalena () to differentiate it from Magdalena del Mar District, 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 Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. Created by Law 9162 of November 5, 1940,Alberto Tauro del Pino, ''Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Perú'', vol. XIII, p. 2133. it is a middle-class residential district and has the most parks in

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 ...

, also housing several branches of banks, local private universities and major corporations. Its name was granted by

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 ...

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 () 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 ...

History

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 Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

, 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 a ...

, which houses the

National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru (, MNAAHP) is the largest and oldest museum in Peru, housed at the Palacio de la Magdalena (Peru), Palacio de la Magdalena, located in the of Pueblo Libre, a district of Lima, ...

, having formerly housed the Magdalena government of Peru 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 ...

. 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 La Cruz del Viajero (The Cross of the Traveller) is a monumental cross located in what now Pueblo Libre, a district of the city of Lima, Peru. It was erected in 1579 by Catholic missionaries. Travellers would stop at the cross to ask for protectio ...

(The Cross of the Traveler). The cross was a symbol of faith and protection the conquistadores brought from Spain.

Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Trujillo, Spain, to a poor fam ...

placed the cross in Pueblo Libre; soldiers would pray before going to war or when making a hard distant journey. 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 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 raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

. 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 measure of a region's size on a 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 open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

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 mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. ;Boundaries * North:

and

Breña Breña () is the smallest Districts of Peru, district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is part of Lima city metropolitan area. Government and politics The current mayor is José Dalton Li Bravo. Geography The district has a total land area of ...

* East: Jesús María * South:

Magdalena del Mar Magdalena del Mar, also known simply as Magdalena, is a seaside district of Lima Province in Peru and one of the districts that comprise the city of Lima. Its current mayor is Francis Allison Oyague. Magdalena was officially established as a di ...

* West:

San Miguel San Miguel, Spanish for Saint Michael, may refer to: Places Argentina *San Miguel Partido *San Miguel, Buenos Aires * San Miguel, Catamarca * San Miguel, Corrientes * San Miguel, La Rioja *San Miguel Arcángel, a Volga German colony in Adolfo Al ...

History

Geography

Demographics

See also

References

External links