Casa de Aliaga

Jerónimo de Aliaga was one of Pizarro's captains, and the plot he was granted when Lima was founded in 1535 - immediately beside the Plaza Mayor - has stayed with his descendants ever since, through seventeen generations. That continuity is what makes the house unusual rather than the architecture, though the architecture is substantial: a colonial mansion rebuilt after successive earthquakes, with a Sevillian-tiled staircase, a series of salons furnished with colonial and republican pieces, a courtyard and a chapel, arranged around a plan that goes back to the sixteenth century. The family still lives in part of it, which is why access is by arranged visit rather than open ticketing, usually through tour operators or by contacting the house directly. It sits directly on the foundation grid of the colonial city, a few steps from the cathedral and the government palace.

History

The house was built in May 1536, at the very beginning of Lima, on the site of a huaca, for the conquistador Jerónimo de Aliaga, and it has been lived in by the same family for seventeen generations. After the earthquake of 1746 it was rebuilt by Juan José Aliaga y Sotomayor; its original walls were of quincha and adobe, and its 18 rooms mix Renaissance, Mannerist, Baroque and Neoclassical styles (Wikipedia, Casa de Aliaga).

What you'll find

• The continuity - the same family in the same house since 1535.
• The salons - colonial and republican furnishings across a series of rooms.
• The tiled staircase - Sevillian azulejos on the main stair.
• The position - directly beside the Plaza Mayor on the original city grid.

When to go

Year-round. One hour. Visits must be booked in advance - this is a private home and there is no walk-in access.

Practical notes

Booking is essential and slots are limited; turning up gets you nowhere. Only part of the house is shown. Photography is restricted. Prices are high compared with public museums nearby.

Nearby

The Plaza Mayor and cathedral are adjacent; San Francisco is a few blocks east.

Key facts