Lima’s Plaza de Armas, also called the Plaza Mayor, marks the exact spot where conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the “City of Kings” on January 18, 1535. Spanish colonial law required new cities to be built on a grid radiating from a central plaza, making this square the literal starting point of Lima.
For centuries the plaza served as the political, religious, and social heart of the Viceroyalty of Peru, hosting processions and festivities, and it was here that Jose de San Martin proclaimed Peruvian independence in 1821. Today it’s ringed by landmark buildings including the Government Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Municipal Palace.
The plaza sits within Lima’s UNESCO-listed Historic Centre and is free to visit, with the changing of the guard at the Government Palace a popular daily spectacle. It’s an easy starting point for exploring the surrounding colonial-era streets on foot.
