Peru ~ Central Lima, Site Seeing

On the day we were leaving Peru, Rick took us site seeing in Central Lima.

One of the place he took us to was the Museum of the Inquistion.

Located on the Plaza Bolívar, which is also home to the Peruvian Congress building, the Inquisition Museum is one of Lima’s most popular and often visited museums. Housed in the building that was home to the Inquisition from 1570 to 1820, the museum has exhibits which explain the impact and importance of the Inquisition in Peru’s history.Imported from Spain in the late 16th century, the Inquisition was responsible for eliminating heresy and blasphemy in the New World. Some of their targets included Spanish Jews and their descendents, who were often accused of maintaining their practices in secret. In this museum, you can visit the lightless dungeon cells where those accused awaited judgement or punishment. It was also from this location that the public burning of heretics was ordered.

These little girls *worked* outside of the muceum selling pieces of candy for 10 cents. They were stinking cute and the candy was good so we bought a bag of 100.

After the Mueseum Rick took us to the San Francisco Catherdral & Catacombs.

This Franciscan church and monastery is one of the most haunting (almost literally) and memorable sites in all of Lima. Originally constructed in 1546, it is one of the oldest churches in South America. It also served as the first official Catholic cemetery in Lima, at a time when the dead were laid to rest in catacombs beneath the church, itself an echo of an old Roman custom. You will get to visit the catacombs and view the hundreds of centuries-old bones and scores of skulls as part of the guided tour. The church also has one of the oldest and most historically significant libraries in the Americas and dramatic collections of religious and secular art, including renaissance-era tiles imported from Spain.