University Park is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

located in the historic centre of 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 ...

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

Abancay Abancay (from Quechuan languages, Quechua language: Hamanqay, Amanqay, or Amankay, meaning ''lily''), founded in 1572 as Santiago de los Reyes de Abancay, is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the capital of both the Apurímac Region and th ...

and

Nicolás de Piérola José Nicolás Baltasar Fernández de Piérola y Villena (known as "''El Califa''" ("The Caliph"); January 5, 1839 – June 23, 1913) was a Peruvian politician and Minister of Finance of Peru, Minister of Finance who served as the 23rd (1879 ...

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 (, UNMSM) is a public research university located in Lima, the capital of Peru. In the Americas, it is the first officially established ( privilege by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) and the oldest continu ...

, 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 Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

Real Convictorio de San Carlos, 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 earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

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 '' Torre Alemana'', 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 on December 9, 1924. To commemorate the hundred years of the Aristocratic Republic (Peru), country's Peruvian War of Independence, independence from History of Spai ...

, in 1921; likewise, next to the Casona de San Marcos is the Panteón de los Próceres.

Monuments

The park is the location of the following monuments: *The Monument to Sebastián Lorente, 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 Monument to Hipólito Unanue, 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 com ...

. This was a precursor of the

independence of Peru 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 ...

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. Africa ...

, the work of the Spanish sculptor . It was inaugurated on July 29, 1931. *The Monument to Bartolomé Herrera, 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 Government (, ; abbr. BReg) is the chief Executive (government), executive body of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany and exercises executive power at the Federal level (Germany), federal level. It consists of the Chancellor ...

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

References

{{coord, 12, 03, 15, S, 77, 01, 53, W, type:landmark_region:PE, display=title Squares in Lima Historic Centre of Lima National University of San Marcos

History

Monuments

See also

References