District of San Isidro - Lima

It is the “garden” district of Lima, has vast green areas and exclusive presidential neighborhoods. There, the most renowned restaurants, bars, hotels, and bank’s main offices are placed.

Recently, the economic boom make San Isidro an important business center. Many of the commerce’s that restrict to historical center were changed into modern buildings.

Boundaries

It is bordered by Lince, La Victoria and Jesús María districts on the north, San Borja, on the east, Surquillo and Miraflores districts on the south, and Magdalena del Mar and Pacific Ocean on the west.

Places to Visit

OLIVAR DE SAN ISIDRO (Olive Grove)

The olive forest was the urbanization’s hearth. It dates back to end of Colony, its beautiness and location has been its main attraction. Surroundings, the first residences were built. It conserves some old big houses of the beginning of century. In one of its mild corners, the district municipality building is located.

HUACA HUALLAMARCA
Nicolás de Rivera 201

It was named “Pan de Azucar”, was known as Huallamarca by Julio C. Tello, the Peruvian archaeology father. “Marca” in quechua means place, region or village. Huallamarca, must mean the Huallas residence. They used this place for burying their dead persons; probably the farmlands must be useful for non agricultural purposes. The evidences were founded in the tombs of Huaca Huallamarca.

It was a pyramidal ceremonial; its usage must be restricted to priestly elite, since the floors are not very damaged.

It has determined that tombs come from Middle Horizon (700-1109) and the Belated Intermediate (1100.1450) that according the archaeological convenience had a close relation with far away areas as Lambayeque, Huaura and Chibcha.

When the mentioned celebrities were buried, the Huallamarca´s pyramid has been deserted by its original constructions. Therefore, it was used as settler’s cemetery, centuries after they occupied in.

The Peruvian customs consisted of burying the corpses with his goods or possessions letting to exhume numerous objects, old civilizations evidences, cultural heritage. These families developed a moderated and laborious life. There were no weapons, but numerous farming objects, cotton fabrics, sewing baskets with spinning mill objects, decorated matt used as crockery, the toys and so on.

All refers about the important role that woman had in these communities. From the former times, woman was related with agriculture, sedentary life, financial security and the moderated customs.

The Huaca structure is similar to a small hill, the result of an artifice formed by the handmade threads (20x20 centimeters approximately). It is probable that it was originally a ceremonial place, a temple. Its subsequent destination began with its owner’s disappearance and carelessness.

MARINA NUÑEZ DEL PRADO MUSEUM

FALCON LIBRARY

Address: Antero Aspíllaga Street 300, San Isidro.

Marina Nuñez del Prado sculpture, was born on October 17, 1908 in La Paz – Bolivia. She was still Fine Arts´ student when began to produce works of art. She was 20 years old when she finished her studies and made her first individual exposition.

Nuñez del Prado always wanted her work be in a visible place. She was never satisfied with some of her exhibitions because of the narrow rooms that only let offer limited size works.

When she was looking for an appropriated place, a neighborhoods´ group of San Isidro proposed, a sale house with wide gardens, in the heart of “El Olivar” for making possible her aspiration of having her work for everybody in general. It also offers the possibility of having bigger sculptures.

So that, in 1986 the museum “El Jardin de Esculturas de Marina Núñez del Prado” is created, result of the neighborhoods initiative, assumed by San Isidro Municipality and passed by Culture National Institution

The museum has eights rooms :

- Sala de la Sorpresa                    - Sala de la Ternura
- Sala de la Intimidad                    - La Pileta de la Atracción
- Terraza-Taller-Biblioteca              - En Tránsito
- Sala Blanca                              - Sala de Fundación

El Olivar (Olive Forest)

The Olive grove is the most valuable of San Isidro, vegetable jewel that stands out among the hemisphere, is not only a physical memory of Lima history, but also green lung of the city. The forest has several hectares of four-year old olive trees, declared National Monument by Supreme Resolution Nº 5773 on December, 1959.

Inside, the Municipal Library see of San Isidro (the most complete and with most cultural activity of municipal libraries of Lima), and El Olivar lagoon are placed, and also one of the conserved residential zones.

The Olive grove was the country state of San Isidro count, 6 Km. away from Lima’s Main Square, is 23hectares long and the district center. In 1560, Don Antonio de Rivera, mayor, brought numerous olive trees but only three were still alive, they were planted on Guatica region. The olive tree propagation was impressive, in 1730, there were 2,000 trees and in 1928 more than 2828 trees. The census 200 considers the existence of 1519 olive trees.

Virgen del Pilar Church
Cross of Camino Real and la Paz Soldán Avenues

Parish of Pasionistas´ Fathers, the current building was built in 1948. The Basilica Major Altar, wonderful work wood carved, dates back to 1740. The beautiful colonial altarpiece was donated by Borda family, has flora and fauna motifs carved, and is gold plate.

The Spanish were smart for decorating wooden pieces with singular characteristics: weaves, pigments, branches, styles, corollas, developing not only sargasso in indigenous lands, the Spaniard baroque lost its boom: it consists of flora and fauna motifs carved in altar and gold plate.  

Hacienda Los Condes House
Paz Soldán 290-240

State mansion of San Isidro has a majestic chapel, a cellar and some catacombs. It was built in colonial times, nearly 300 years ago and was inhabited by several families of that epoch, and then Moreyra and Paz Soldán inherited it.

In El Ovivar State House, Doña Rosa Gutiérrez de Cossío, San Isidro,s Countess (very related with high aristocracy of Vicergal Lima) offered a reception to Don José de San Martin.

Nowadays, this house is used as restaurant of great tourist attraction with all original furniture.

Parks of San Isidro

In San Isidro District there are several parks with different peculiarities, history and monuments to visit; we can make mention the most important ones:

- Bustamante and Rivero Park
- Andres A. Caceres Park
- Dogni Park
- El Golf
- Guatemala Park
- Juan de Arona Fountain
- Los Delfines Hotel
- El Olivar Park
- Alfonso Ugarte Park