Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [61]
PANTEóN DE LOS PRóCERES
Located inside a little-visited 18th-century Jesuit church, this monument (Map; 427-8157; Parque Universitario; admission S1; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun) pays tribute to a bevy of Peruvian battle heroes, from Túpac Amaru II, the 18th-century Quechua leader who led an indigenous uprising, to José de San Martín, who led the country to independence in the 1820s. The mosaic-lined crypt holds the remains of Ramón Castilla, the four-time Peruvian president who saw the country through a good piece of the 19th century. The building retains an impressive baroque altar, carved out of Ecuadorean mahogany, which dates to the 1500s.
MUSEO DE LA CULTURA PERUANA
About half a dozen blocks west of the Plaza San Martín, on a traffic-choked thoroughfare, resides the Museo de la Cultura Peruana (Museum of Peruvian Culture; Map; 423-5892; http://museodelacultura.perucultural.org.pe; Alfonso Ugarte 650; admission S3.60; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat), a repository of Peruvian folk art. The collection, consisting of elaborate retablos (religious dioramas) from Ayacucho, historic pottery from Puno and works in feather from the Amazon, is displayed in a building whose exterior facade is inspired by pre-Columbian architecture.
PARQUE DE LA CULTURA
Originally known as Parque de la Exposición, this newly revamped park (Map) has gardens and a small amphitheater for outdoor performances. In 2009, major roadway renovation projects in the vicinity turned the area into a symphony of jackhammers, but the work should be completed by 2010. Two of Lima’s major art museums reside here.
Museo de Arte de Lima
Known locally as MALI (Map; 423-6332; http://museoarte.perucultural.org.pe; Paseo Colón 125; 10am-5pm, closed Wed), Lima’s principal fine art museum is housed in a striking beaux arts building that, in 2009, underwent an extensive interior renovation. (The museum is scheduled to reopen sometime in 2010.) Until the reopening, small exhibits of objects from the excellent permanent collection – which includes pre-Columbian artifacts, colonial furniture and cutting-edge installation art by contemporary artists – can be found at Casa Wiese (Map; Carabaya 501; 10am-8pm Tue-Sun), a temporary exhibit space in Central Lima run by a local cultural foundation.
Museo de Arte Italiano
Just north of MALI, the Museo de Arte Italiano (Italian Art Museum; Map; 423-9932; Paseo de la República 250; adult/child US$1/0.30; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri) exhibits a tepid collection of 19th- and 20th-century Italian academic art. Its best attribute is the glittering Venetian mosaics on the exterior walls.
EL CIRCUITO MáGICO DEL AGUA
This indulgent series of illuminated fountains (Map; Parque de la Reserva, Av Petit Thouars, Cuadra 5; admission S4; 4-10pm) is so over-the-top it can’t help but induce stupefaction among even the most hardened traveling cynic. A dozen different fountains – all splendiferously illuminated – are capped, at the end, by a laser light show at the 120m-long Fuente de la Fantasía (Fantasy Fountain). The whole display is set to a medley of tunes comprised of everything from Peruvian waltzes to ABBA. Has to be seen to be believed.
MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL
One block west of cuadra 12 of Av Arequipa, south of the Parque de la Reserva, the Museo de Historia Natural (Natural History Museum; Map; 471-0117; http://museohn.unmsm.edu.pe; Arenales 1256, Jesús María; admission S7; 9am-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 10am-1:30pm Sun), run by the Universidád de San Marcos, has a modest taxidermy collection that’s a useful overview of Peruvian fauna.
Rímac
Rímac can be a rough neighborhood. Taxis or organized tours are the best options for the following sights.
MUSEO TAURINO
The Plaza de Acho, Lima’s bullring, has been