Evening star., 1935-04-14

Of Spanish Renaissance. The chief
plaza, the Plaza de Armas, as well as
others are as Pizarro planned them.
Lima is on the River Rimac and
while some Of the stone bridges were
shaken down in the earthquake there
is one still intact which dates from
1910. One ancient feature is gone.
The Duo de la Palata, who was vice.
roy from 1881 to 1889, made Of Lima
a walled city. 1t was period Of fiery
piracy on the seas and the viceroy
took this unusual precaution to arm
the old capital against raids Of the
sort in which Sir William Morgan
took Panama City. These walls stood
until 1870, when they were raZed and
replaced by boulevards which now
ring the city.
Besides such churches as Santo
Domingo, La Merced, San Augustin,
San Francisco and San Pedro, great
piles Of Spanish architecture which
compare favorably with many of Eu-
rope, Lima has some notable converts.
The first was established by the
widow Of the revolutionary Don Fran
cisco Hernandez Giron. When he
was in possession of most Of the coun-
try for three years-from 1851 to
1554-she followed him about in such
pomp and state that she became
known as Queen Of Peru. At his ulti-
mate defeat and execution she estab-
! lished the Convent of the Incarna-
ton. herself entering it as a nun.
Soon after came the establishment
of the Convent of the Conception by
Dona Ines de Ribera, the first woman
to come out from Spain to Peru. Her
first husband was a half-brother of
| Pizarro, Don Martin de Alcantara,
her second Don Antono de Ribera,
and when both had died she used her
wealth to establish the convent where
she took vows and lived to be Ill
years old.
Transplant Spanish Culture.
Lima has always been extremely
proud OF its position as mother of
classical culture in America. In the
earlier days of the universidad the
granting of degrees was one Of the
major observances of the year. The
ceremonies lasted two days. There
was tremendous pomp, with military
music. In the cathedral, before an
audience of notables, the graduate
delivered a discourse in Latin and
| had his degree conferred upon him
| by the chancellor. He was given the
kiss of peace, was given a ring and
book, sword and spurs.
The people of Lima took pride in
the fact that they spoke a Spanish
uncorrupted by dialects. Nearly all
of them had come from the ancient
provinces Of CASTLE, Andalusia and
EXtremadura. The viceroys were
patrons of literature and held poetry
contests.
1t is Illuminating to note that. in
those earlier times. no thought
whatever was given to the vast cul-
ture OF the Incas which surrounded
these conquerors. Into an Andean
setting they had imported the archi-
lecture of Spain and the literary and
artistic culture of Spain as well as its
swelling pride. Yet, surrounding them
were the evidences of a culture older
than theirs. They had destroyed
much, had wrested gold from the
images of the un-Christian temples
lIlCy lAC ulOol
| widespread dissertations. In the
midst of these ruins they held poetry
contests.
But there has been a marked
change from the old times. Today
Lima has become a different capital.
| Still center of culture. it also Is
thriving commercial city. 1t has, in
part, made up for the desecration Of
the earlier days by patient archeo-
logical research which is revealing
much Of the Inca culture. Cuzco,
the ancient Inca capital. is In Peru,
and Peruvian scientists have as
sembled from there and other sites
one of the most outstanding collec-
tions of pre-Spanish art in the world.
The things which we're flung aside
as worthless by the Conquistadores
now are carefully protected in glass
cases. Four hundred years make
lot of difference in mental attitudes