Trujillo, Peru maintains the history of the city and past cultures, within its buildings, architecture, and art museums. Throughout the city, visitors can be immersed in life in Trujillo hundreds of years ago. The buildings and much of the artwork held in the Main Square in particular, give a true glimpse into the style of representation valued over the years.

Chan-Chan
This ancient capital of the Chimu people, dating back to the 12th century, still exists as the world's largest clay city. Surrounding the city that extends 20 square kilometers, the Chimu erected walls made of adobe, a material similar to mud and covered in cement. During this process these walls, reaching 12 kilometers into the air, were decorated with fascinating reliefs depicting geometric patterns and animals, placed directly upon the wet surface. The Chimor artistic abilities are also prevalent in much of the pottery that has been found within the city. Much attention was given to depicting life during this time, the ocean and fishing in particular, as this was a main stay of life for this civilization. As a city with thousands of inhabitants, Chan-Chan included courtyards, labyrinths, pyramidal temples, burial areas, and 10 separate citadels that were created by the different Chimu kings during their reign of the area. Chan-Chan is listed upon the World Heritage list as well as the List of World Heritage in Danger, so many protective measures have been taken for visitors to be able to enjoy the remains that have been excavated so far.

Main Square-Plaza de Armas
As the main square of the city, the Plaza de Armas holds much of the city's history in its churches, houses, museums, and statues. At the center of the plaza is the Monumento de La Libertad, established when Trujillo became the first Peruvian city to declare its independence from Spain in the early 19th century. The statue stands as a winged figure resembling Peru's liberator, Simón Bolívar.

Located on one corner in the main square is the Trujillo Cathedral, built in 1616. Despite damage incurred during earthquakes in the 1600's, many of the relics of the Cathedral survived and are now displayed in the Cathedral museum. The museum contains canvases and sculptures from hundreds of years ago, as well as an altarpiece modeled in the Baroque style.

Also within the main square is the Ganoza Chipotea House, built in the 17th century and modeled in the Baroque style of architecture. The Ganoza Chipotea is considered the closest model of the architecture of Trujillo. The front of the house welcomes guests with numerous Baroque and Rococo styled details, along with two magnificent lions which have earned the house the more commonly used name, La Casa de los Leones (House of the Lions).

The Church of El Carmen founded in 1724, now houses the greatest number of colonial art pieces in Trujillo. Spanning an entire block, the museum of the Church holds pieces of work modeled in the Baroque and Rococo style, many dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Despite numerous devastating earthquakes, the Church's central altar remains today, demonstrating particularly well the artistic style of this time period.

For more great attractions located near the city of Trujillo, be sure to visit the Nearby attractions page.

Trujillo Overview

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