{{Short description|Cultural heritage site in Lima, Peru}} {{Infobox building | name = Giacoletti Building | native_name = Edificio Giacoletti, Edificio Juan Romano | native_name_lang = Spanish | alternate_names = | image = Casa Giacoletti antes del incendio.jpg | image_size = 250 | caption = The building in 2017 | location = [[Plaza San Martín, Lima]] | address = [[Avenida Nicolás de Piérola|Av. Nicolás de Piérola]] 890 | architectural_style = [[Liberty style|Art Nouveau]] <small>(1912–40s)</small><br>[[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture|''Neocolonial'']] <small>(1940s–2018)</small> | status = Destroyed | completion_date = 1912 | destruction_date = October 27, 2018 | coordinates = {{coord|display=title,inline}} }} The '''Giacoletti Building''' ({{langx|es|Edificio Giacoletti}}), also known as the '''Juan Romano Building''' ({{langx|es|Edificio Juan Romano}}), was a historical commercial building located in [[Plaza San Martín, Lima|San Martín Plaza]]. In 1972 it was declared a historical monument of [[Lima]]. The building was destroyed in a fire on October 27, 2018. Restoration works began on August 28, 2025.
==History== [[File:Teatro Colón-Edificio Giacoletti.jpg|thumb|left|The building (right) next to the ''Teatro Colón'' (left)]] The building, a project by the [[Kingdom of Italy|Italian]] brothers Rinaldo, Antonio and Guido Masperi, was built under the auspices of the Lima-based merchant Juan Romano on land destined for new buildings that would surround and embellish the space destined for a new square under construction, which would be later known as the [[Plaza San Martín, Lima|San Martín Plaza]]. The materials used to build the peculiar building with a triangular floor plan and four floors, in an academic style with some elements of [[Liberty style|Italian Art Nouveau]], were [[adobe]] and [[quincha]]. Inside, the levels were connected by a European marble staircase. Being the first building erected around the future square, it set the style and height of other later buildings, such as the [[Gran Hotel Bolivar|Hotel Bolívar]], the [[Teatro Colón, Lima|Teatro Colón]] or the [[Club Nacional (Peru)|''Club Nacional'']].<ref name=LR>{{Cite news |title=Fue el primer edificio de la plaza San Martín y se construyó en 1912 |url=https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/1346316-primer-edificio-plaza-san-martin-construyo-1912/ |date=2019-05-28 |work=[[La República (Peru)|La República]]}}</ref><ref name=Peru21>{{Cite news |title=La historia del edificio Giocoletti, hoy convertido en cenizas |url=https://peru21.pe/lima/centro-lima-historia-edificio-giocoletti-hoy-convertido-cenizas-nndc-436937-noticia/ |date=2018-10-27 |work=[[Perú 21]]}}</ref>
The building was originally known as the ''Juan Romano Building'' in honor of its promoter, but it was popularly renamed Giacoletti after Pedro Giacoletti's Italian cafeteria that operated on the first floor.<ref name=LR/><ref name=Garcia>{{Cite news |title=Fuego destruye una construcción histórica en la plaza San Martín [FOTOS] |url=https://peru21.pe/lima/fuego-destruye-construccion-historica-plaza-san-martin-437019-noticia/ |last=García |first=Alejandra |date=2018-10-28 |work=[[Perú 21]]}}</ref>
In the 1940s the Art Nouveau ornamentation was removed, lightening its decoration, and turning it into a [[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture|''neocolonial'']] building.<ref name=LR/><ref name=Peru21/>
During its more than one hundred years of existence, it housed different businesses, such as bars and restaurants.<ref name=LR/> In the 1970s, Romano ceded the space to the ''El Cortijo'' chicken parlor.<ref name=Peru21/> In 1972, the Giacoletti building was declared a historical monument of the city.<ref name=Garcia/> Later the poultry shop moved to the [[Barranco District|Barranco]] district, and the ''Parrilladas San Martín'' restaurant was installed on the premises, a business that did not last long due to the [[Lost Decade (Peru)|Peruvian crisis of that time]].<ref name=Peru21/>
===Fire=== [[File:Incendio Plaza San Martin.jpg|thumb|right|The building after the fire.]] In the early morning of October 27, 2018, the building was damaged by a [[Structure fire|fire]] that lasted three hours.<ref name=Garcia/> On the first level of the five-story building was the ''Roky's'' chicken shop, which had been operating since the beginning of the year 2000,<ref name=Peru21/> where it is presumed that the fire started. In addition, the building was the headquarters of a hostel. The fire would have started in a chimney flue and therefore spread rapidly to the upper floors.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Centro de Lima - Incendio consumió una casona frente a la Plaza San Martín |url=https://rpp.pe/lima/actualidad/incendio-un-gran-incendio-consume-una-casona-frente-a-la-plaza-san-martin-noticia-1159395 |last=Cruz |first=Yohel |date=2018-10-27 |work=[[Radio Programas del Perú|RPP Noticias]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Plaza San Martín: el siniestrado edificio Giacoletti, el adiós a parte de nuestra historia |url=https://www.americatv.com.pe/noticias/actualidad/plaza-san-martin-siniestrado-edificio-giacoletti-adios-parte-nuestra-historia-n344630 |date=2018-10-27 |work=[[América Televisión|América Noticias]]}}</ref>
The building has remained empty since, still in a dilapidated state and without final demolition or reconstruction due to bureaucratic obstacles and financing problems.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Edificio Giacoletti: a dos años del incendio que consumió este patrimonio su restauración aún no se inicia |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/patrimonio/edificio-giacoletti-a-dos-anos-del-incendio-que-consumio-este-patrimonio-su-restauracion-aun-no-se-inicia-noticia/ |date=2020-10-27 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref> Currently, only the outer part of the building remains, although plans to rebuild it have been proposed.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Edificio Giacoletti: ¿Cuáles son los planes de la municipalidad para poder restaurarlo? |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/edificio-giacoletti-cuales-son-los-planes-de-la-municipalidad-para-poder-restaurarlo-centro-historico-de-lima-plaza-san-martin-municipalidad-metropolitana-de-lima-noticia/?ref=ecr |last=Ardiles |first=Abby |date=2022-05-21 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref>
On August 7, 2025, the building was declared part of the [[Cultural heritage of Peru]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Edificio Giacoletti: el ícono de la arquitectura limeña declarado Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación por el Ministerio de Cultura |last=Villantoy Gómez |first=Abigail |date=2025-08-13 |url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/2025/08/13/edificio-giacoletti-el-icono-de-la-arquitectura-limena-declarado-patrimonio-cultural-de-la-nacion-por-el-ministerio-de-cultura/ |work=[[Infobae]]}}</ref>
===Restoration=== Restoration works headed by [[PROLIMA]] began on August 28, 2025, with a ceremony headed by mayor [[Rafael López Aliaga]]. The new project aims to restore its original Art Nouveau style, dating back to 1908.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Municipalidad de Lima inició restauración del emblemático edificio Giacoletti |date=2025-08-28 |url=https://rpp.pe/lima/actualidad/municipalidad-de-lima-inicio-restauracion-del-emblematico-edificio-giacoletti-noticia-1652688 |work=[[RPP Noticias]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Restaurarán el edificio Giacoletti en el corazón de Lima |last=Bugarin |first=Claudia |date=2025-08-28 |work=[[América Televisión|América Noticias]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Municipalidad de Lima inicia restauración del histórico edificio Giacoletti |last=Pereyra |first=Andrea |date=2025-08-28 |url=https://diariocorreo.pe/edicion/lima/municipalidad-de-lima-inicia-restauracion-del-historico-edificio-giacoletti-peru-noticia/ |work=[[Correo (newspaper)|Correo]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Lima da inicio a la restauración del Edificio Giacoletti con ceremonia simbólica |date=2025-08-27 |url=https://www.gob.pe/institucion/munilima/noticias/1235106-lima-da-inicio-a-la-restauracion-del-edificio-giacoletti-con-ceremonia-simbolica |work=[[Gob.pe]] |publisher=[[Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima]]}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Casa Marcionelli]], destroyed in a fire in 2023
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Lima landmarks}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lima]] [[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Peru]] [[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1912]] [[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2018]] [[Category:Historic Centre of Lima]]