{{Short description|Alameda in Peru}} [[File:Alameda de los Descalzos Rimac.jpg|thumb|The ''alameda'' in 2022.]] The '''Alameda de los Descalzos''' is an [[Avenue (landscape)|alameda]] located in [[Rímac District]], [[Lima]], [[Peru]]. One of the best-known places in the district, around it stand—among other buildings—the churches of [[Iglesia de Santa Liberata|Santa Liberata]], [[Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio (Rímac)|El Patrocinio]] and [[Iglesia y Convento de los Descalzos|Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles]]. Nearby is also the place where [[Micaela Villegas]]'s Mill House was located. It measures about 450 [[Metre|m]].
==History== [[File:Pan Grande - Lima 1912.jpg|thumb|right|Demonstrations at the alameda in favour of [[Guillermo Billinghurst]]'s presidential candidacy in 1912.]] It was initially called '''Alameda Grande'''. Ordered to be laid out by [[Viceroy of Peru|Viceroy]] [[Juan de Mendoza y Luna, Marquis of Montesclaros|Juan de Mendoza y Luna]] in 1611 in the likeness of the [[Alameda de Hércules]] in the [[Spain|Spanish]] city of [[Seville]], a public garden created in 1574 and the oldest in [[Spain]] and [[Europe]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=El urbanismo de Sevilla durante el reinado de Felipe II |last=Albardonedo Freire |first=Antonio José |publisher=Guadalquivir |year=2002 |location=Seville |pages=191–208 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=III Jornadas de Andalucía y América |last=Durán Montero |first=María Antonia |publisher=La Rábida, Imprenta E.E.H.A. |year=1984 |location=Seville |chapter=La Alameda de los Descalzos de Lima y su relación con las de Hércules de Sevilla y la del Prado de Valladolid}}</ref> The Sevillian model was followed by other creators of urban gardens in Spain such as that of [[Écija]], [[province of Seville]], or that of [[Alameda Central]] in [[Mexico City]]. The Alameda de los Descalzos de Lima was rebuilt in 1770 by Viceroy [[Manuel de Amat y Junyent|Manuel Amat y Juniet]]. It is located at the end of Alcázar Avenue, approximately 900 meters north of the [[Plaza Mayor, Lima|Plaza Mayor]].{{citation needed|date= December 2023}}
Lima's [[oral tradition]] collects stories that furtive encounters between forbidden lovers took place in this place, where the girls of the time, accompanied on their walks by chaperones, brushed against their suitors without even looking at them. It is the cradle of well-known stories about secrets, mischievous smiles and the graceful walk of the coquetry of the famous ''[[Tapada limeña|tapadas limeñas]]'' in their eager and seductive walks of gentlemen in love. It is also a witness to romantic stories and memories, the most famous of which is the romance between [[Manuel de Amat y Junyent|Viceroy Amat]] and the [[Perricholi]], who were the talk of the demure society ladies of the time.{{citation needed|date= December 2023}}
It is also said that, at night, [[ghost]]s of [[widow]]s, [[suicide]]s, and people who died in the [[Spanish Inquisition]] or mysterious congregations of ghosts parade around the alameda.
According to the chroniclers of the Viceroyalty, its original design consisted of three streets: two lateral ones for [[carriage]]s and a central one for [[pedestrian]]s. There were three [[fountain]]s, donated by citizen {{ill|Agustín de Landaburu y Ribera|es|lt=Agustín Hipólito de Landaburu}}, and eight rows of trees that offered walkers shade and coolness. The definitive remodeling that it underwent in the 19th century turned it into a romantic walk. In 1856, President [[Ramón Castilla]] gave it a new and definitive unitary outline by ordering the placement of a wrought iron fence imported from [[England]], giving it the romanticist touch of the early 18th century.{{citation needed|date= December 2023}}
It currently has side bars, one hundred lined [[marble]] [[Bench (furniture)|benches]], twelve [[Carrara marble]] [[Marble statue|statues]] that represent the [[signs of the zodiac]] and the [[months of the year]], as well as 50 ornamental wrought iron vases by artisans of the time.
The [[Municipality of Lima]] carried out renovation works between 2014 and 2015.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rímac: Denuncian abandonó de obras de MML en Alameda de los Descalzos |url=http://www.rpp.com.pe/2015-02-15-rimac-denuncian-abandono-de-obras-de-mml-en-alameda-de-los-descalzos-noticia_769592.html |date=2014-10-16 |work=[[RPP Noticias]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=WhatsApp: ¿Cuándo terminarán obras en Alameda de los Descalzos? |url=http://elcomercio.pe/whatsapp/sucesos/whatsapp-cuando-terminaran-obras-alameda-descalzos-noticia-1790580 |date=2015-02-10 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Municipio de Lima y del Rímac remozarán la Alameda de los Descalzos |url=http://peru.com/actualidad/cyberperiodista/municipio-lima-y-rimac-remozaran-alameda-descalzos-noticia-151953 |date=2013-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918174829/http://peru.com/actualidad/cyberperiodista/municipio-lima-y-rimac-remozaran-alameda-descalzos-noticia-151953 |archive-date=2013-09-18 |work=Peru.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=En octubre entregarán renovada la Alameda de los Descalzos y el Paseo de Aguas |url=http://www.andina.com.pe/agencia/noticia-en-octubre-entregaran-renovada-alameda-los-descalzos-y-paseo-aguas-563472.aspx |date=2013-07-16 |work=[[Andina (news agency)|Andina]]}}</ref>
==Statues== The sculptures of the ''alameda'' have as their theme the [[Zodiac sign|zodiacal signs]] and some [[Greek deities|gods]] from [[Greek mythology]]. In 2018 these were declared [[Cultural heritage of Peru|Cultural Heritage of the Nation]] as part of the set of 91 monumental sculptures located in the [[Historic Centre of Lima]].
{| class="mw-collapsible wikitable" width=80% style='font-size:0.9em' align=center |+style="color:black;"|Sculptures at the Alameda de los Descalzos |- style="color:white;" !style="background:#659ec7;" align=center width=15%|Name !style="background:#659ec7;" align=center width=25%|Image !style="background:#659ec7;" align=center width=75%|Description |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"|[[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]] |[[File: Acuario - panoramio.jpg |150px|center]] |[[Pan (god)|Pan]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Pisces (astrology)|Pisces]] |[[File:Cancer - panoramio.jpg|alt=|200x200px|center]] |[[Poseidon]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Aries (astrology)|Aries]] |[[File: 2017 Lima - Escultura de Aries en la Alameda de los Descalzos.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Ares]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]] |[[File: Tauro - panoramio - Juan Lozada.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Dionysus]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Gemini (astrology)|Gemini]] |[[File: Géminis - panoramio.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Hephaestus]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Cancer (astrology)|Cancer]] |[[File:Sagitario - panoramio.jpg|alt=|200x200px|center]] |[[Chronos]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]] |[[File: Leo - panoramio - Juan Lozada.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Apollo]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Virgo (astrology)|Virgo]] |[[File: Virgo - panoramio.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Hermaphroditus]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Libra (astrology)|Libra]] |[[File: Libra - panoramio - Juan Lozada.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Hermes]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Scorpio (astrology)|Scorpio]] |[[File: Escorpio - panoramio - Juan Lozada.jpg|150px|center]] |It represents a young woman, she wears a crown of flowers on her head, she wears a long tunic and a long blanket, and in her right hand she holds a basket of flowers. Next to her, a scorpion climbs a trunk and at her feet appears the inscription 'F. Baini Fecit Rome 1855' |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"|[[Sagittarius (astrology)|Sagittarius]] |[[File:Piscis - panoramio.jpg|alt=|200x200px|center]] |[[Uranus (god)|Uranus]] |- !style="background:lemonchiffon;"| [[Capricorn (astrology)|Capricorn]] |[[File: 2017 Lima - Capricornio, representado por el dios Zeus, en la Alameda de Descalzos.jpg|150px|center]] |[[Zeus]] |}
==See also== {{Commons category}} *[[Alameda Chabuca Granda]] *[[Church of Nuestra Señora de Copacabana]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Lima landmarks}}
[[Category:Alameda de los Descalzos| ]] {{improve categories|date=December 2023}}