Lima, Peru

The city of Lima and capital of Peru—founded on January 18, 1535, by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro—is also known as the “City of Kings.” Lima is situated on the banks of the Rimac River, from which its name originates. Rimac is a Quechua word meaning “talker.” During the viceroyalties of the 16th and 17th centuries, Lima was an important and powerful city in the newly discovered continent. San Marcos University, established in Lima, Peru, in 1551, was the first university in the new world. Lima, with its strategically located port of Callao, in the center of the South American and Peruvian coast, made the city the heart of power and wealth for the Spanish newcomers.