In December 2000, UNESCO declared the historical center of Arequipa a World Heritage Site, stating the following: "The historical center of Arequipa is an example of ornamented architecture, represents a masterpiece of the creative coalition of European and native characteristics. A colonial town challenged by the conditions of nature, the indigenous influences, the conquest process and evangelism as well as for a spectacular natural scenario."
The historic centre of Arequipa, built in volcanic sillar rock, represents an integration of European and native building techniques and characteristics, expressed in the admirable work of colonial masters and Criollo and Indian masons. This combination of influences is illustrated by the city's robust walls, archways and vaults, courtyards and open spaces, and the intricate Baroque decoration of its facades.
Evening falls and the magic begins: the cathedral is illuminated in one of Peru’s most beautiful city squares. But that is not all. More than 500 grand colonial-era houses in the historic center takes visitors back to another time, to the earliest beginnings of the fusion between European and Andean traditions, as expressed in Arequipa’s vaulted roofs and arches of white stone, made from the local volcanic rock known as “sillar”. The historic center of Arequipa also offers a thousand culinary adventures in its famous traditional restaurants, or “picanterías”, where stone mortars and clay pots are used to prepare the finest stuffed peppers, shrimp chowder or the unforgettable chili pepper sauce and potato dish known as “ocopa”.
Arequipa Photo Gallery
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