Santiago de Surco
Encyclopedia
Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as Surco, is a district of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

, 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 bordered on the north by the districts of La Molina, Ate
Ate District
Ate, 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 Borja; on the south by Chorrillos; on the east by La Molina, Villa María del Triunfo
Villa María del Triunfo
Villa 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 Silvia Barrera . The district's postal code is 35.-Geography:The...

 and San Juan de Miraflores
San Juan de Miraflores
San 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 Edilberto Quispe Rodriguez...

; and on the west by San Borja, Miraflores
Miraflores District, Lima
Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Known for its shopping areas, gardens, flower-filled parks and beaches, it is one of the upscale districts that make up the city of Lima....

, Surquillo
Surquillo
Surquillo 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 Barranco.

Due to its relatively large area, it is a very heterogeneous district, having inhabitants belonging to all socio-economic
Socioeconomics
Socioeconomics or socio-economics or social economics is an umbrella term with different usages. 'Social economics' may refer broadly to the "use of economics in the study of society." More narrowly, contemporary practice considers behavioral interactions of individuals and groups through social...

 levels.

The northern parts of Surco, which are close to San Borja and La Molina, are known as Monterrico and Chacarilla and 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 Lima
University of Lima
The University of Lima is a private 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...

, 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 Lima
Lima District
Lima is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is not where the inner city zone of Lima, the country's capital city, is located, San Isidro District being such area in Lima....

, San Isidro (Lima's financial
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...

 district), and Miraflores
Miraflores District, Lima
Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Known for its shopping areas, gardens, flower-filled parks and beaches, it is one of the upscale districts that make up the city of Lima....

. Three stations of Line 1 of the Lima Metro
Lima Metro
The Lima Metro, regarded by peruvians as Tren Eléctrico is a metropolitan railway currently linking the south of Lima, with the centre of the capital of Peru...

 (Jorge Chavez, Ayacucho and Cabitos) are located in the district.

History

The Santiago de Surco area was already populated before Inca times. During the Viceroyalty of Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created 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 Barranco, Chorrillos, and other areas.

One of the biggest attractions of Surco is the old Church San Juan Grande, which is currently under reconstruction. In earlier years this church remained unwatched and with no care from the municipality of Surco and was inhabitated by locals in poverty.

It is said that this old church was communicated to the Santiago Apostol Cathedral a few miles from there in old Surco by a sort of underground passages built by the Jesuits to be used in case of war or danger. What is a fact is the old skulls and little babies bones found by curious people who walked in the catacums.

This church was built by the Jesuit order in 1752, using adobe, canes, stones and wood only.
The Jesuit order was expelled in 1767 from all the Spanish territories due to disagreements with the Spanish monarch Carlos III and then after their properties were confiscated. Thus this place was abandoned. Thereafter, this land was sold in an auction. As a matter of fact, this land was divided into two pieces. A large (grande)parcels and a small one. Then, the church took its name from the large parcel, which was grande in spanish.

This house-property was used as a shelter for Cáceres' troops in times of war. Caceres didn't know from where the Chilean troops, which just arrived from Chile a few hours earlier in Conchan, could attack the city. So he used the help of a little person.
There was an immense pine tree of more than 300 years of age back in the patio that divided the church from the house-property, but even though it fell broken in January 2001, It still remains unbroken in the memory of many surcanos as a silent witness of what happened that time. Julio, the little kid, became a hero at the age of 13 and during the San Juan y Miraflores battle by immolating for the sake of the mother country.
The little kid hero, Julio César Escobar, climbed up to the top of the pinetree to be a watch and warn Caceres about the Chilean troops approach. When Julio saw the Chileans, he was to high already to climb down to warn about the Chilean troops' presence on time. The Peruvian troops had to flee through the shooting that had already begun and Julio did not have enough time to run away. Unfortunately, the patriots were defeated and the kid hero was shot dead close-by the immense pinetree.

Then, this church was sacked and burnt by the chilean troops. Later on, the church was converted in a stable by the chileans. This extract was translated by Daniel David Delgado Torrejon.

The district of Santiago de Surco was created by Law 6644 on December 16, 1929 out of the Barranco District.

Sister cities

List of sister cities, designated by Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...

: Gastonia, North Carolina, United States
United States
The 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
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