Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as
Surco, is a district of
LimaLima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao...
,
PeruPeru , 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.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
. It is bordered on the north by the districts of
La MolinaLa Molina is a district of the Lima Province in Peru, and one of the upscale districts that comprise the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on February 6, 1962, the current mayor of La Molina is Luis Dibós Vargas Prada. The district's postal code is 12.-Geography:The district has a...
,
AteAte, also known as Ate-Vitarte, is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Located in the eastern part of the province, it is one of the districts that comprise the city of Lima.-Geography:The district has a total land area of 77.72 km²...
and
San BorjaSan Borja is a district in the Lima Province in Peru and one of the districts comprised by the city of Lima.Originally part of the district of Surquillo, it became officially established as a separate district on June 1, 1983...
; on the south by
ChorrillosChorrillos is a district of the Lima Province in Peru and part of the city of Lima. It gets its name from the Spanish word for "trickle of water"...
; on the east by La Molina,
Villa María del TriunfoVilla María del Triunfo is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It located in the Cono Sur area of the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on December 28, 1961, the current mayor of Villa María del Triunfo is Juan Castillo, elected in November 2006. The district's postal code is...
and
San Juan de MirafloresSan Juan de Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is located in the Cono Sur area of the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on January 12, 1965, the current mayor of San Juan de Miraflores is Paulo Hernán Hinostroza Guzmán...
; and on the west by San Borja, Miraflores,
SurquilloSurquillo is a district in Lima, Peru. It is bordered by the districts of San Isidro and San Borja on the north; by Miraflores on the south and west; and by Santiago de Surco on the east....
and
BarrancoBarranco is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru. Its current mayor is Felipe Antonio Mezarina Tong and its postal code is 04.The district is considered to be the city's most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru's leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers...
.
Due to its relatively large area, it is a very
heterogeneousHeterogeneous is an adjective used to describe an object or system consisting of multiple items having a large number of structural variations. It is the opposite of homogeneous, which means that an object or system consists of multiple identical items...
district, having inhabitants belonging to all
socio-economicSocioeconomics or socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. The field is often considered multidisciplinary, using theories and methods from sociology, economics, history, psychology, and many others. It has emerged as a separate field of study in...
levels.
The northern part of Surco, which is close to San Borja and La Molina, is known as
Monterrico and is considerably more developed than the southern side of the district, having more upper class housing and the four major shopping centers of the district.
Some of the most exclusive and prestigious universities of Lima are located in Surco, including
University of LimaThe University of Lima is a university in Lima, the capital of Peru. It was founded in 1962. The decision to create the University of Lima was made in the early 1960s by a group of university professors, along with important commerce and industry representatives. It started with only 120 students...
, Universidad Ricardo Palma, and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas.
Many of Lima's largest shopping centers are also located in the district, including "Jockey Plaza Shopping Center", "Caminos del Inca", "Chacarilla" and "El Polo".
Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as
Surco, is a district of
LimaLima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao...
,
PeruPeru , 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.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
. It is bordered on the north by the districts of
La MolinaLa Molina is a district of the Lima Province in Peru, and one of the upscale districts that comprise the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on February 6, 1962, the current mayor of La Molina is Luis Dibós Vargas Prada. The district's postal code is 12.-Geography:The district has a...
,
AteAte, also known as Ate-Vitarte, is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Located in the eastern part of the province, it is one of the districts that comprise the city of Lima.-Geography:The district has a total land area of 77.72 km²...
and
San BorjaSan Borja is a district in the Lima Province in Peru and one of the districts comprised by the city of Lima.Originally part of the district of Surquillo, it became officially established as a separate district on June 1, 1983...
; on the south by
ChorrillosChorrillos is a district of the Lima Province in Peru and part of the city of Lima. It gets its name from the Spanish word for "trickle of water"...
; on the east by La Molina,
Villa María del TriunfoVilla María del Triunfo is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It located in the Cono Sur area of the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on December 28, 1961, the current mayor of Villa María del Triunfo is Juan Castillo, elected in November 2006. The district's postal code is...
and
San Juan de MirafloresSan Juan de Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is located in the Cono Sur area of the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on January 12, 1965, the current mayor of San Juan de Miraflores is Paulo Hernán Hinostroza Guzmán...
; and on the west by San Borja, Miraflores,
SurquilloSurquillo is a district in Lima, Peru. It is bordered by the districts of San Isidro and San Borja on the north; by Miraflores on the south and west; and by Santiago de Surco on the east....
and
BarrancoBarranco is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru. Its current mayor is Felipe Antonio Mezarina Tong and its postal code is 04.The district is considered to be the city's most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru's leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers...
.
Due to its relatively large area, it is a very
heterogeneousHeterogeneous is an adjective used to describe an object or system consisting of multiple items having a large number of structural variations. It is the opposite of homogeneous, which means that an object or system consists of multiple identical items...
district, having inhabitants belonging to all
socio-economicSocioeconomics or socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. The field is often considered multidisciplinary, using theories and methods from sociology, economics, history, psychology, and many others. It has emerged as a separate field of study in...
levels.
The northern part of Surco, which is close to San Borja and La Molina, is known as
Monterrico and is considerably more developed than the southern side of the district, having more upper class housing and the four major shopping centers of the district.
Culture, education and entertainment
Some of the most exclusive and prestigious universities of Lima are located in Surco, including
University of LimaThe University of Lima is a university in Lima, the capital of Peru. It was founded in 1962. The decision to create the University of Lima was made in the early 1960s by a group of university professors, along with important commerce and industry representatives. It started with only 120 students...
, Universidad Ricardo Palma, and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas.
Many of Lima's largest shopping centers are also located in the district, including "Jockey Plaza Shopping Center", "Caminos del Inca", "Chacarilla" and "El Polo". Santiago de Surco has won five awards for having some of the best-kept green areas in Lima.
La Vendimia (grapevine): The Viticulture Association and the Municipality of Surco sponsor this showcase for regional crafts, cuisine and wine processes within the framework of the "Vineyard Harvest of Surco." The craft of wine preparation is demonstrated through macerating grapes by the traditional method of treading by foot. Grape fermentation and aging processes are also shown. A Reina de la Vendimia (Queen of the Harvest) is chosen and local performers stage their talents. This seasonal festival takes place from March 17 to 26, annually and it is one of the most traditionalist festivities. It is celebrated in downtown Surco.
Transport
Several of Lima's most important avenues pass through Surco, including the South avenues, which connect the district with
downtown LimaLima is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is where the inner city zone of Lima, the country's capital city, is located....
,
San IsidroSan Isidro is a district of the Lima Province in Peru, and one of the upscale districts that comprise the city of Lima.Officially established on April 24, 1930, San Isidro has become a major financial quarter in recent years, as many banks and businesses left downtown Lima to set up their...
(Lima's
financialFinance is the science of funds management. The general areas of finance are business finance, personal finance, and public finance. Finance includes saving money and often includes lending money. The field of finance deals with the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated...
district), and Miraflores.
History
The Santiago de Surco area was already populated before
IncaThe Inca civilization began as a tribe in the Cuzco area, where the legendary first Sapa Inca, Manco Capac founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200. Under the leadership of the descendants of Manco Capac, the Inca state grew to absorb other Andean communities. In 1442, the Incas began a...
times. During the
Viceroyalty of PeruCreated in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
, Surco became a vacation spot for the wealthy. Back in those times, Surco comprised not only its current territory but also the area of present-day
BarrancoBarranco is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru. Its current mayor is Felipe Antonio Mezarina Tong and its postal code is 04.The district is considered to be the city's most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru's leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers...
,
ChorrillosChorrillos is a district of the Lima Province in Peru and part of the city of Lima. It gets its name from the Spanish word for "trickle of water"...
, and other areas.
During the
War of the PacificThe War of the Pacific , occurring from 1879-1884, was a conflict between Chile and the alliance of Bolivia and Peru. Also known as the "Saltpeter War," the war arose from disputes over the control of territory that contained substantial mineral-rich deposits.The conclusion of the conflict...
, the
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an invading soldiers sacked and burned the surroundings of the San Juan Grande Church. This church had been constructed by the Jesuit order in 1752, utilizing only adobe, canes, stones and wood.
Due to the Spanish monarch Carlos III's disagreements with the Jesuit order, they were expelled in 1767 from all the Spanish territories and their properties were confiscated. Thus this place was abandoned; thereafter, it was sold at auction, being then named San Juan Grande and divided into a small and a large parcels. The church took its name from the large ("grande") parcel, which was the only one that was sold.
In the patio that divides the church from the house-property there was an immense pine tree of more than 300 years of age but even though it fell broken in January 2001, It is the mute witness of a kid's feat who became a hero at the age of 13 and during the San Juan y Miraflores battle he immolated for the sake of the mother country. The house-property was used as a shelter for Cáceres' troops, who didn't know where the Chilean troops would attack from, which, few hours earlier have just disembarked in Conchán.
But there the little kid hero Julio César Escobar was on the very tip top of the pinetree as a watch. It was too late when he warned about the Chilean troops' presence, they had to flee through the shooting that had already begun. The patriots were defeated and the kid hero was shot dead close-by the immense pinetree, the church was converted in a stable, thereafter, Santiago was sacked and burned.
The district of Santiago de Surco was created by Law 6644 on December 16, 1929 out of the
BarrancoBarranco is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru. Its current mayor is Felipe Antonio Mezarina Tong and its postal code is 04.The district is considered to be the city's most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru's leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers...
District.
Sister cities
List of sister cities, designated by
Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and fostering sister cities, especially between cities in the United States and cities in other countries....
: Gastonia, North Carolina,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
External links
Municipalidad Distrital de Santiago de Surco - Santiago de Surco district council official website