Piura
Encyclopedia
Piura is a city in northwestern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

. It is the capital of the Piura Region
Piura Region
Piura is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru...

 and the Piura Province
Piura Province
Piura is a landlocked province in the Piura Region in northwestern Peru. Its capital, the city of Piura, is also the regional capital. The province is the most populous in the region as well as its center of economic activity.- Boundaries :...

. The population is 377,496.

It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...

 founded the third Spanish city in South America and first in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in July 1532. Piura declared its independence on 4 January 1821.

History

Like most of northern Peru, the territory of Piura has been inhabited by their autochthonous group of natives called tallanes and yungas. These lived without an organization or single leader to rule until the Muchik culture eventually took control, and the mixture of these evolved into the Vicús culture. Centuries later, Piura came under the rule of Tupac Inca Yupanqui
Tupac Inca Yupanqui
Topa Inca Yupanqui , translated as "noble Inca accountant," was the tenth Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire, and fifth of the Hanan dynasty. His father was Pachacuti, and his son was Huayna Capac. Topa Inca belonged to the Qhapaq panaca....

 for at least 40 years, and before the Spanish arrived.

With the arrival of the Spanish in 1532, the current mestizo and creole cultures of Piura were born. This mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...

 culture includes influences from Spanish Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...

 and Andalucia, African influence due to the arrival of slaves from Madagascar (Malgache
Malagasy people
The Malagasy ethnic group forms nearly the entire population of Madagascar. They are divided into two subgroups: the "Highlander" Merina, Sihanaka and Betsileo of the central plateau around Antananarivo, Alaotra and Fianarantsoa, and the côtiers elsewhere in the country. This division has its...

 slaves), the Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....

 coolies that migrated from Canton
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

 to work the rice fields and replace the slaves; and also Roma Gypsies who came as pirates looking for pearls or incognito as Spanish horsemen.

The Spanish named the city from the Quechuan word, pirhua, meaning abundance. Nowadays, Piura is known as the "Ciudad del eterno calor" meaning "The city of the eternal heat" because it is hot all year round.

Tourism

One of the best known tourist attractions in Piura is La Esmeralda beach, known as Colan for it is located near the town of Colan. Colan beach is a very long beach with warm waters. Local people like to go there during holidays.

There are also great spots for surfers, like Mancora Beach and Cabo Blanco.

Piura is served by the Cap. FAP Guillermo Concha Iberico International Airport
Cap. FAP Guillermo Concha Iberico International Airport
Capitán FAP Guillermo Concha Iberico International Airport is an airport serving Piura, Peru. It is run by ADP a private operator that manages various airports in northem Peru. It is the main airport of the Piura Region, the second most populous one of the country...

.

Culture and folklore

Piura is host to a stunning mestizo culture (one of the oldest in South America, Piura is the third Spanish city founded on that continent) most famous for gastronomical dishes like Seco de chabelo, algarrobina-based drinks, many types of seafood and fish, like ceviche
Ceviche
Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt,...

 and Natilla Sweets. Popular crafts are the Chulucana Pottery and Catacaos is famous for its "Hats" and "Silversmith" arts. The small town of Simbila, is very popular for its handcrafts and pottery. The tondero and cumanana are the traditional music of mestizo Piura and northern parts of Lambayeque
Lambayeque Region
Lambayeque is a region in northwestern Peru known for its rich Moche and Chimú historical past. The region's name originates from the ancient pre-Inca civilization of the Lambayeque.-Etymology:...

. There are also several famous Peruvian Waltz that came from these regions (northern Peruvians have their own style).

Universities

  • Universidad de Piura
  • Universidad Nacional de Piura
  • Universidad César Vallejo
  • Filial de la Universidad Alas Peruanas Janet Navas Torres (Main campus in Lima)
  • Filial de la Universidad de Los Angeles de Chimbote (Main campus in Chimbote)
  • Filial de la Universidad San Pedro de Chimbote (Main Campus in Chimbote)

Churches

  • Iglesia Catedral de Piura was founded in 1588, located in the Plena Plaza de Armas, is an icon of the city
  • Iglesia San Francisco was founded by the Franciscan Order
  • Iglesia San Sebastian was founded in 1911
  • Iglesia Alianza Cristiana and Missionary of Piura
  • Iglesia Maria auxiliadora

Sister cities

Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 Trujillo, Spain.
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