Peruvian cities in the archives of National Library of Peru
A look at cities Peru in the period of national reconstruction
Front view of the Central Post Office at Lima, Peru. (1909) by Adolfo DubreuilNational Library of Peru
The Peruvian Republic Album from 1900
Through this document we sought to present Peru to the world as a country that aspired to progress and modernity. After the War with Chile, the economy progressively recovered.
The activities
Consequently, each city contributed through activities like agriculture and livestock farming, as well as through its available natural resources, such as minerals and oil.
For this reason, the album showed public buildings, homes, squares, ports, among other buildings, from the cities of the coast, mountains and jungle.
Tap to explore
The city center of Lima today
Main Square in Lima
Lima: order and growth of the city
Towards the end of the 19th century, Lima was sought to organize itself as a city, at the same time as its growth occurred. In 1871, the city walls were demolished and new avenues were opened.
Plaza Mayor
Meanwhile, hospitals and the asylum, were built among other buildings.
In the Viceroyalty, the Plaza Mayor was an important stage. In it the ordinances were read and it was the market space.
In the second half of the 19th century, as a reorganization measure, it was finally cleared of vendors. The central pool was surrounded by marble sculptures and symmetrically arranged vegetation. Likewise, it was surrounded with a fence with lanterns in the corners.
Piura. Main square. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
Coastal cities
The region played a significant role in the national economy, with activities such as sugar, rice, and cotton cultivation, and the presence of oil deposits. In the south, the city of Tacna, despite being under Chilean control, remained an active participant in regional trade.
Oil rush
Towards the second half of the 19th century, oil began to be exploited in Tumbes and Tacna. In the case of Piura, the oil fields were found in various areas of the department, mainly near the sea.
The oil
From Tumbes to Máncora the existence of oil was found in 72 valleys; from Máncora to Paita, in 16 valleys, according to Middendorf (2015a). Among the companies operating in the region at the time were the London Pacific Petroleum Co. and The Heath Petroleum Co.
Tap to explore
Tumbes and Tacna
The area in the 21st century
The Plaza de Chiclayo
The Plaza de Chiclayo in 19th century wasn't very big. The extension of the main street divided it into two parts: in one, there was the fountain with a garden and also the church; and, on the other side, some trees and benches.
Tacna under Chilean rule
Towards the end of the 19th century, Tacna was under Chilean rule and suffered the Chileanization of its territory, like Arica and Tarapacá.
The importance of the buildings
Although the city had suffered damage after the war, it had some important buildings such as the Municipal Theater and also shops.
Cerro de Pasco. General view. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
Cities of the mountains
The mountain range supplied wool, metals (silver, gold and copper) and agricultural products, among others. However, one of the difficulties in marketing it was the expense of transportation to the coast, where the large cities were located and from where they could be exported.
Cerro de Pasco
At the end of the 19th century, Cerro de Pasco. not laid out in a grid like other cities founded by the Spanish. Its layout was irregular as the first houses would have arisen between the mines and, later, they would have been aligned into streets.
Tap to explore
Cerro de Pasco today
Look at the city panorama today!
The Hotel industry
In that same period there were openings and holes that opened from the houses and patios. Middendorf also indicated that, as money was obtained from mining activity, foreigners could be found in the area, and that the climate was cold and particularly harsh.
At the end of the 19th century
Arequipa was the second most important city in the country. The Plaza Mayor had a fountain in the center surrounded by a fenced octagonal garden. The cathedral, the portals and the church of the Company surrounded the square.
The Cusco story
According to the 1876 census Cusco had more than 18,000 inhabitants and was characterized by its cold climate and abundant rains. The Plaza Mayor was not a completely regular square, the cathedral was on its northeast side and the frontispiece of the Jesuit church on its south side.
In this period, the plaza of Cusco had a fountain surrounded by a small garden and a market was installed in the northern part. Middendorf (2015b) points out that the predominant language was Quechua, although with additions of Spanish.
Chachapoyas Square and Church. (Between 1898 and 1899) by Fernando GarreaudNational Library of Peru
The jungle cities
The Amazon provided coffee, cocoa, rubber, and other products. In the late 19th century, European and North American industries saw its natural resources as a potential source of national economic recovery for their own nations. However, the Peruvian state neglected the region, and its Indigenous population suffered enslavement, forced labor, and devastating disease outbreaks brought by colonizers. Despite these hardships, Indigenous communities actively resisted exploitation.
The city of Chachapoyas
Chachapoyas was flat in its central part while the distant streets were up the hills and only some were paved. In the main square were the cathedral, the municipality and the prefecture.
The market was also held in that same place. The products of the region were cocoa, coffee, fruits (cherimoya, oranges and avocados), among other products.
5 thousand inhabitants in Tarapoto
The area was a thriving hub of commerce, with coffee, cocoa, and tobacco among the many products grown there. Some residents were vital links in the supply chain, transporting merchandise from Brazil to Moyobamba. Others were skilled rowers.
The key product
In the late 19th century, Iquitos had a diverse population of foreign, mestizo, and indigenous peoples, all involved in the rubber industry. While rubber fueled the city's growth, it also led to the neglect of agriculture.
Tragically, Indigenous communities were decimated by disease and brutal working conditions in the rubber trade, enriching foreign markets and a small group of Peruvian elites.
The communication
Iquitos was connected to Pará (Brazil) by steamship routes, giving the city access to a wide range of goods, including those from Europe and North America. These imported goods were primarily purchased by the foreign population in Iquitos.
Bibliography
Joffré, G. (1999). The wall and the alleys. Urban intervention and political project in Lima during the second half of the 19th century. Lima: SIDEA.
Middendorf, E. (2015a). Peru II. Observations and studies of the country and its inhabitants during a 25-year stay. Volume II. Puno: National University of the Altiplano.
Middendorf, E. (2015b). Peru III. Observations and studies of the country and its inhabitants during a 25-year stay. Volume II. Puno: National University of the Altiplano.
Para acceder a más contenidos digitales de la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú, te invitamos a ingresar a su Biblioteca Digital.
