Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bank building, the Museo Banco Central de Reserva del Perú is a well-presented overview
of several millennia of Peruvian art, from pre-Columbian gold and pottery to a selection
of 19th- and 20th-century Peruvian canvases. Don't miss the watercolors by Pancho Fi-
erro on the top floor, which provide an unparalleled view of dress and class in 19th-cen-
tury Lima. Identification is required for admittance.
Museo Postal y Filatélico
(Postal & Philatelic Museum; 428-0400; Conde de Superunda 170; 9am-5pm Tue-
Fri, 9am-1pm Sat & Sun)
Everything you've ever wanted to know about the Peruvian
mail system can be found at the Museo Postal y Filatélico next to the main post office.
MUSEUM
MUSEUM
Museo de la Inquisición
( 311-7777, ext 5160;
www.congreso.gob.pe/museo.htm
; Jirón Junín 548;
9am-5pm)
A graceful neoclassical structure facing the Plaza Bolívar houses this diminut-
ive museum, where the Spanish Inquisition once plied its trade. In the 1800s, the building
was expanded and rebuilt into the Peruvian senate. Today, guests can tour the basement,
where morbidly hilarious wax figures are stretched on racks and flogged - to the delight
of visiting eight-year-olds. The old 1st-floor library retains a remarkable baroque wooden
ceiling. Entry is by half-hour guided tours, conducted in Spanish and English, after which
you are free to wander.
Jirón de la Unión
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the five pedestrian blocks on Jirón de la Unión,
from the Plaza de Armas to Plaza San Martín, was
the
place to see and be seen. The street
has long since lost its aristocratic luster, but the shells of neocolonial and art-deco build-
ings survive. Watch out for pickpockets who work the crowds during street performances.
HISTORIC SITE
PLAZA
Plaza San Martín
Built in the early 20th century, Plaza San Martín has come to life in recent years as the
city has set about restoring its park and giving the surrounding beaux-arts architecture a
much-needed scrubbing. It is especially lovely in the evenings, when it is illuminated. The
plaza is named for the liberator of Peru, José de San Martín, who sits astride a horse at the