Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
historical significance, and confident self-awareness. Guarded by not one, but three dra-
matic volcanoes, it is renowned for its formidable ensemble of baroque-
mestizo
buildings
crafted out of
sillar
- a white volcanic rock that is common to the region. Certainly, the
sight of the gigantic cathedral, with the ethereal image of the 5825m El Misti rising be-
hind it, is worth the visit alone.
The city is also an important cultural center: Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa was
born here, and the cityʼs spicy cuisine has played a fundamental role in the country's gast-
ronomic renaissance.
History
Evidence of pre-Inca settlement by indigenous peoples from the Lake Titicaca area leads
some scholars to think the Aymara people first named the city (
ari
means 'peak' and
quipa
means 'lying behind' in Aymara; hence, Arequipa is 'the place lying behind the
peak' of El Misti). However, another oft-heard legend says that the fourth
inca
(king),
Mayta Cápac, was traveling through the valley and became enchanted by it. He ordered
his retinue to stop, saying, '
Ari, quipay,
' which translates as 'Yes, stay.' The Spaniards
refounded the city on August 15, 1540 - a date that is remembered with a weeklong fair.
Sights
MUSEO SANTUARIOS ANDINOS
| Museum
( 20-0345;
www.ucsm.edu.pe/santury
;
La Merced 110; admission S20; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 3pm
Sun)
This small museum is dedicated to preserving the body of 'Juanita,' the so-called 'Ice
Maiden' - the remains of a 12-year-old Inca girl sacrificed atop Nevado Ampato many
centuries ago. Visits begin with a beautifully shot 20-minute film and are followed by a
guided tour of a series of dimly lit rooms filled with artifacts related to her burial. The cli-
max is the vaguely macabre sight of the girl, now eerily preserved in a glass refrigerator.
