{{Short description|Park in Lima}} {{About|the park in Lima|other parks of the same name|Kennedy Park (disambiguation){{!}}Kennedy Park}} {{Infobox park | name = Miraflores Central Park | image = Parque Kennedy, Lima, 2017-02-28.jpg | image_caption = View of the park's southernmost point | other_name = Kennedy Park | type = [[Public park]] | location = [[Miraflores District, Lima]] | created = 1920s | operator = Municipality of Miraflores | open = 24 hours | area = 22,000 m<sup>2</sup> }} '''Miraflores Central Park''' ({{langx|es|Parque Central de Miraflores}}), commonly known as '''Kennedy Park''' ({{langx|es|Parque Kennedy}}), is a [[public park]] located in [[Miraflores District, Lima|Miraflores]], [[Lima]], [[Peru]]. The park serves the district's main square, and is divided into two areas, one of which gives the park its common name.<ref name=LR2022>{{Cite news |title=¿Cómo se llama verdaderamente el parque Kennedy de Miraflores? |url=https://larepublica.pe/datos-lr/respuestas/2022/07/20/como-se-llama-verdaderamente-el-parque-kennedy-de-miraflores-evat |date=2022-07-20 |work=[[La República (Peru)|La República]]}}</ref> It is bordered by Miraflores Roundabout to the north, [[Avenida Larco|Larco]] and Diagonal avenues to the east and west, respectively, and Schell Street to the south.
Two streets—'''Lima''' and '''Virgen Milagrosa'''—pass through the park.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Municipalidad de Miraflores afirma que estacionamiento subterráneo no afectará áreas verdes de parque Kennedy |date=2013-06-24 |url=https://www.actualidadambiental.pe/miraflores-responde-ante-cuestionamientos-del-estacionamiento-subterraneo-en-parque-kennedy/ |work=Actualidad Ambiental}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Calles § Calle Lima |url=https://www.miraflores.gob.pe/la-ciudad/calles/ |website=Municipalidad de Miraflores}}</ref> The park is known for its large presence of [[street cat]]s,<ref name=LR2022/> and is commonly used for events such as [[book fair]]s and [[marathon]]s, as well as ''[[Fiestas Patrias (Peru)|Fiestas Patrias]]'' celebrations such as the ''Corso Wong'', and political and social protests.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Corso de Wong vuelve a Miraflores: ingreso, recorrido y desvíos del tradicional desfile |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/sucesos/corso-wong-vuelve-miraflores-ingreso-recorrido-desvios-desfile-domingo-noticia-653793-noticia/ |date=2019-07-14 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref>
== Name == The park is officially called "Miraflores Central Park" ({{langx|es|Parque Central de Miraflores}}), also simply called "Miraflores Park" ({{langx|es|Parque de Miraflores}}). Despite the name, the area is divided into two parks: '''John F. Kennedy Park''' ({{langx|es|Parque John F. Kennedy}}), named after the [[John F. Kennedy|late U.S. president]], and '''7 June Park''' ({{langx|es|Parque 7 de Junio}}), named after the date of the [[Battle of Arica]].
The former gives the entire park complex its popular name, '''Kennedy Park'''.<ref name=LR2022>{{Cite news |title=¿Cómo se llama verdaderamente el parque Kennedy de Miraflores? |url=https://larepublica.pe/datos-lr/respuestas/2022/07/20/como-se-llama-verdaderamente-el-parque-kennedy-de-miraflores-evat |date=2022-07-20 |work=[[La República (Peru)|La República]]}}</ref>
== History == The area that houses the park today saw conflict towards the end of the [[Lima campaign|campaign to take Lima]] during the [[War of the Pacific]] in what was known as the [[Battle of Miraflores]]. An area it eventually expanded to located west of its church was originally the site of buildings, such as the ''Gran Hotel'', which was destroyed by a fire immediately following the battle among other buildings, such as the ''rancho'' across the street.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Lima et ses environs: tableaux et moeurs péruviennes |last=Pradier-Fodéré |first=Camille |publisher=A. Pedone |year=1897 |pages=141 |language=fr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_IrnuXzTofcC}}</ref>
The park's official name was established in 1900 and has remained since,<ref name=LR2022/> originally being known after its church, San Miguel de Miraflores.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Miraflores: realizan misa al aire libre en los exteriores de parroquia La Virgen Milagrosa y con presencia de feligreses |date=2020-11-26 |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/sucesos/miraflores-realizan-misa-al-aire-libre-en-los-exteriores-de-la-parroquia-la-virgen-milagrosa-y-con-presencia-de-feligreses-covid-19-coronavirus-nndc-noticia/ |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref>
The area did not see much development until the construction of the ''Iglesia Matriz Virgen Milagrosa''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.miraflores.gob.pe/la-ciudad/iglesias-y-templos/ |title=Iglesias y Templos |website=Municipalidad de Miraflores}}</ref> [[Church (building)|church]] in 1939,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notas sobre la historia del distrito de Miraflores |url=http://blog.pucp.edu.pe/blog/juanluisorrego/2013/01/23/notas-sobre-la-historia-del-distrito-de-miraflores/ |last=Orrego Penagos |first=Juan Luis |date=2013-01-23 |website=[[Blog PUCP]]}}</ref> after which it expanded around its area, eventually being divided into two parks: the John F. Kennedy Park, named after [[U.S. President]] [[John F. Kennedy]] for his role in the [[Alliance for Progress]],<ref name=EC>{{Cite news |title=Aniversario de Lima: ¿Qué debes visitar si es tu primera vez en Lima? |url=https://elcomercio.pe/vamos/peru/aniversario-de-lima-que-debes-visitar-si-es-tu-primera-vez-en-lima-peru-lima-viajes-turismo-aniversario-de-lima-noticia/ |date=2023-01-18 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref> and the 7 June Park, named after the [[Battle of Arica]] of the [[War of the Pacific]].<ref name=LR2022/>
In the 1990s, the area was reportedly [[Swarm behaviour|plagued]] by [[rat]]s, which caused local residents organised by the church to start leaving their [[cat]]s in the park, with the latter eventually replacing the former in large numbers. The presence of cats today serve as a tourist attraction.<ref name=LR2022/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cats of Parque Kennedy |last=Nantes |first=Talek |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/parque-john-f-kennedy-cats-lima |date=2024-08-16 |website=[[Atlas Obscura]]}}</ref>
A [[Bust (sculpture)|bust]] of Kennedy is featured in the homonymous park, having been inaugurated on November 21, 2003, by then mayor of Miraflores Fernando Andrade Carmona on the occasion of [[Sister cities|twinning]] Miraflores with [[Pensacola]], [[Florida]].<ref name=LR2022/> Also featured in the park is an [[amphitheatre]] of singer [[Chabuca Granda]].<ref name=EC/>
Due to a lack of parking space,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Miraflores tiene un déficit de diez mil estacionamientos para vehículos |date=2009-04-21 |url=https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-miraflores-tiene-un-deficit-diez-mil-estacionamientos-para-vehiculos-229003.aspx |work=[[Andina (news agency)|Andina]]}}</ref> a long-planned 4-storey underground [[car park]] began construction in 2015 after a three-year delay due to the belief that the park held the remains of Peruvian soldiers killed during the 1881 battle.<ref name=Peru2013>{{Cite news |title=¿Sabías que historiadores afirman que el Parque Kennedy es un cementerio de guerra? |date=2013-12-24 |url=https://peru.com/actualidad/sabias-que/sabias-que-historiadores-afirman-que-parque-kennedy-cementerio-guerra-noticia-217472/ |work=[[Perú.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Miraflores: Rechazan estacionamiento subterráneo porque podría dañar Parque Kennedy |date=2013-06-13 |url=https://www.actualidadambiental.pe/miraflores-rechazan-estacionamiento-subterraneo-porque-podria-danar-parque-kennedy/ |work=Actualidad Ambiental}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Culture (Peru)|Ministry of Culture]] eventually launched an investigation to verify this claim,<ref name=Peru2013/> with the construction group receiving a certificate that guaranteed the non-existence of human remains in June 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Miraflores: parqueo subterráneo se construiría desde julio |last=Alayo Orbegozo |first=Fernando |date=2015-06-14 |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/miraflores-parqueo-subterraneo-construiria-julio-371959-noticia/ |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref> It was eventually inaugurated on December 15, 2016, thus eliminating parking lots on adjoining avenues and widening the sidewalks.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Estacionamiento subterráneo en Miraflores comienza a funcionar desde hoy |url=https://www.publimetro.pe/actualidad/2016/12/15/estacionamiento-subterraneo-miraflores-comienza-funcionar-desde-hoy-54009-noticia/ |date=2016-12-15 |work=[[Publimetro]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Hoy abren el estacionamiento subterráneo en el parque Kennedy |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/hoy-abren-estacionamiento-subterraneo-parque-kennedy-153790-noticia/ |last=León Almenara |first=Juan Pablo |date=2016-12-15 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref>
In 2019, the park was the start and finish line of a [[Athletics at the 2019 Pan American Games|marathon]] that took place as part of the larger [[2019 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] for both men and women.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lima 2019: Miraflores listo para recibir la Maratón |url=https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia.aspx?id=759527 |date=2019-07-22 |work=[[Andina (news agency)|Andina]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Lima 2019: este es el recorrido de la maratón de los Juegos Panamericanos |url=https://rpp.pe/multideportes/panamericanos/lima-2019-este-es-el-recorrido-de-la-maraton-de-los-juegos-panamericanos-noticia-1208611 |date=2019-07-12 |work=[[Radio Programas del Perú|RPP Noticias]]}}</ref>
== Gallery == <gallery> Municipalidad miraflores.jpg|[[Palacio Municipal de Miraflores|Town hall]] seen from [[Larco Avenue]] Lima trip 2012 06.jpg|One of many street cats in the park Lima - Perú (20691400536).jpg|Entrance of 7 June Park Iglesia Virgen Milagrosa, Miraflores - panoramio (259).jpg|Virgen Milagrosa church Estatua de JFK Lima 01.jpg|Bust of John F. Kennedy </gallery>
== See also == *[[Calle de las Pizzas]], located across the street *[[University of Piura]], located nearby *[[Sinagoga 1870]], located nearby
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Lima landmarks}} {{coord|-12.1211|-77.0298|format=dms|type:landmark_region:PE|display=title}} [[Category:Parks in Lima]] [[Category:Monuments and memorials to John F. Kennedy]] [[Category:War of the Pacific]] [[Category:Miraflores District, Lima]]