Jirón Quilca is a major street in the Damero de Pizarro, located in the historic centre of Lima, Peru. The street starts at its intersection with the Jirón de la Unión and continues until it reaches Alfonso Ugarte Avenue.

Jirón Quilca
View from the Plaza San Martín, between the Teatro Colón and the Giacoletti Building
Part ofDamero de Pizarro
NamesakeQuilca District
FromJirón de la Unión
Major
junctions
Jirón Camaná, Jirón Caylloma, Jirón Rufino Torrico, Wilson Avenue, Jirón Washington
ToAlfonso Ugarte Avenue
Construction
Completion1535

History

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The road that today constitutes the street was laid by Francisco Pizarro when he founded the city of Lima on January 18, 1535.

In 1862, when a new urban nomenclature was adopted, the road was named jirón Quilca, after the district in Camaná Province, Arequipa. Prior to this renaming, each block (cuadra) had a unique name:

  • Block 1: Iturrizaga, after Bernardo de Iturrizara y Mansilla.[1]
  • Block 2: San Jacinto, after the chapel of the same name that existed in the 17th century. In 1857, the first gas factory for public lighting was built in this area.[2]
  • Block 3: Alfareros, after the various clay article making shops that existed during the viceroyalty.[1]

During the economic crisis of the 1980s, both Quilca and Camaná streets became known for their book stores, which sold second-hand books and music cassettes at an affordable price. The leasing contract between these stores and the Archdiocese of Lima, effective since 1997, expired in 2016.[3] A known place is the Bar Queirolo, a restaurant in the street's corner with Camaná.[3]

In the early morning of October 27, 2018, the Giacoletti Building, located on the street's first block, was damaged by a fire that lasted three hours.[4][5] The building has remained empty since, still in a dilapidated state and without final demolition or reconstruction due to bureaucratic obstacles and financing problems.[6] Currently, only the outer part of the building remains, although plans to rebuild it have been proposed.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Bromley Seminario 2019, p. 180–181.
  2. ^ Bromley Seminario 2019, p. 383–384.
  3. ^ a b "Jirón Quilca: una aproximación a su historia e importancia". El Comercio. 2016-01-18.
  4. ^ Cruz, Yohel (2018-10-27). "Centro de Lima - Incendio consumió una casona frente a la Plaza San Martín". RPP Noticias.
  5. ^ "Plaza San Martín: el siniestrado edificio Giacoletti, el adiós a parte de nuestra historia". América Noticias. 2018-10-27.
  6. ^ "Edificio Giacoletti: a dos años del incendio que consumió este patrimonio su restauración aún no se inicia". El Comercio. 2020-10-27.
  7. ^ Ardiles, Abby (2022-05-21). "Edificio Giacoletti: ¿Cuáles son los planes de la municipalidad para poder restaurarlo?". El Comercio.

Bibliography

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