Rímac | |
|---|---|
 ThePaseo de Aguas at night | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location in Lima Province | |
| Country |  Peru |
| Region | Lima |
| Province | Lima |
| Founded | February 2, 1920 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Nestor De La Rosa (2023-2026) |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.87 km2 (4.58 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 187,462 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (PET) |
| UBIGEO | 150128 |
| Website | munirimac.gob.pe |
| Official name | Zona Monumental del Rímac |
| Type | Immobable tangible |
| Designated | December 28, 1972 |
| Legal basis | R.S. Nº 2900-72-ED |
| Official name | Distrito de El Rímac |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Designated | 1991 |
| Part of | Historic Centre of Lima |
| Reference no. | 500 |
Rímac (pronunciation:[ˈri.mak]) is adistrict of Lima,Peru. It is one of the oldest parts of the city, and was formally made into a district in 1920. Due to its age, vestiges of the city'sSpanish era remain today in the district's Monumental Zone, the old quarter that's part of theCultural heritage of Peru since 1972, and aWorld Heritage Site since 1988 as part of theHistoric Centre of Lima.
The name of the district comes from one of two sources: Either the Aymara languagelima-limaq (meaning "yellow flower"), or the Spanish pronunciation of theQuechua wordrimaq (meaning "talker", and actually written and pronouncedlimaq in the nearbyQuechua I languages). It is worth nothing that the same Quechua word is also the source of the name given to the river that feeds the city, theRímac River (pronounced as in the politically dominantQuechua II languages, with an "r" instead of an "l"). Early maps of Peru show both names (Lima andCiudad de los Reyes) displayed jointly.
It was known until the 19th century asSan Lázaro', a neighbourhood of Lima District. Prior to that, it was called "the neighbourhood on the other side ofthe bridge" (Spanish:Bajo el puente).
The city of Lima was founded byFrancisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, and given the nameCity ofKings.[2][3] Nevertheless, its original name persisted with time.
The district was part of Lima District until its creation in 1920. Prior to that, it was a neighbourhood named afterSaint Lazarus or after its location on the other side of thePuente de Piedra.
In 1988,UNESCO declared the historic centre of Lima aWorld Heritage Site for its originality and high concentration of historic monuments constructed during the viceregal era.[4][2] In 2023, it was expanded with two exclaves to include theQuinta and Molino de Presa and theAncient Reduction of Santiago Apostle of Cercado.[4]
Like its southern counterpart, the district's historic quarter is divided byTrujillo Street, which connects withUnion Street through thePuente de Piedra, the oldest bridge in the city. Its eastern side features thePlaza de Acho, the most famousbullfighting arena in South America and one of the most well known in the world. Looking directly fromRicardo Palma Bridge on downtown Lima district's East side, a large building with the logo ofCerveza Cristal, one of two famous Peruvian brands, can be seen. This was the main brewery until theBackus company moved operations toAte in the 1990s. North of the plant is theAlameda de los Descalzos, a shortboulevard with a large planted median leading into theConvento de los Descalzos. Built in the 18th century by the Spanish colonial government, it is one of the best features in this lower-middle-class district. Northern Rímac, or Amancaes, once romanticized in ballads as "La Flor de Amancaes", a hilly prairie, is now overrun withpueblos jóvenes (shanty towns).San Cristóbal hill, which is the highest point inLima Province, is located in the district. The district's religious festivities include theSeñor Crucificado del Rímac.
Rímac is under the jurisdiction of its owndistrict municipality, as well as that of theMetropolitan Municipality of Lima.
Since 2023, the incumbent mayor isNéstor de la Rosa [es].
| № | Mayor | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begin | End | |||
| 1 | Juan Bautista Nicolini Bollentini | 1920 | 1920 | |
| 2 | José Jarrin | 1920 | 1920 | |
| 3 | Armando Patiño | 1920 | 1921 | |
| 4 | Juan Salazar | 1922 | 1922 | |
| 5 | Víctor Arévalo [es] | 1922 | 1922 | |
| 6 | Abraham Castillo | 1923 | 1924 | |
| 7 | Juan Ríos | 1925 | 1929 | |
| 8 | Pedro Malatesta | 1930 | 1931 | |
| 9 | Alberto Samamé | 1931 | 1932 | |
| 10 | Daniel Carneiro | 1932 | 1932 | |
| 11 | César Saavedra | 1932 | 1932 | |
| 12 | Pío Delgado | 1932 | 1933 | |
| 13 | Emiliano Morán | 1933 | 1933 | |
| 14 | Augusto Thorndike | 1934 | 1939 | |
| 15 | Jorge Albertini | 1940 | 1944 | |
| 16 | Tomás Vidal | 1945 | 1946 | |
| 17 | Augusto Hinostroza | 1947 | 1947 | |
| 18 | Augusto Thorndike | 1947 | 1947 | |
| 19 | Manuel Vento | 1948 | 1949 | |
| 20 | César Saavedra | 1950 | 1950 | |
| 21 | Andrés Indacochea | 1950 | 1950 | |
| 22 | César Saavedra | 1950 | 1955 | |
| 23 | Nicolás Macedo | 1956 | 1957 | |
| 24 | Pedro Tello | 1958 | 1961 | |
| 25 | Ricardo Espinosa | 1962 | 1963 | |
| 26 | Carlos Alva Sánchez | APRA–UNO | 1964 | 1966 |
| 27 | Percy Hartley Román | APRA–UNO | 1967 | 1969 |
| 28 | Carlos Morales | 1970 | 1976 | |
| 29 | Godofredo Ramírez | 1977 | 1979 | |
| 30 | Antonio Fernández | 1980 | 1981 | |
| 31 | José Delgado Arena | Acción Popular | 1981 | 1983 |
| 32 | Juan Villanueva Flores | Izquierda Unida | 1984 | 1986 |
| 33 | Juan Carlos Yance Salvador | APRA | 1987 | 1989 |
| 34 | Armando Lerma Santos | FREDEMO | 1990 | 1992 |
| 35 | Raúl Soto Herrera | OBRAS | 1993 | 1995 |
| 36 | José Navarro Lévano [es] | Somos Lima | 1996 | 1998 |
| 37 | Gloria Jaramillo Aguilar | Somos Perú | 1999 | 2002 |
| 38 | Luis Lobatón Donayre | Unidad Nacional | 2003 | 2006 |
| 39 | Víctor Leyton Díaz | Unidad Nacional | 2007 | 2010 |
| 40 | Enrique Peramás Díaz | Somos Perú | 2011 | 2014 |
| 41 | Enrique Peramás Díaz | Solidaridad Nacional | 2015 | 2018 |
| 42 | Pedro Rosario Tueros | Acción Popular | 2019 | 2022 |
| 43 | Néstor de la Rosa [es] | Podemos Perú | 2023 | 2026 |
As of 1993, Rímac is divided into the following urban areas or neighbourhoods:[5]
As of 2025, Lima istwinned with 24 cities in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
The district has a total landarea of 11.87 km2. Its administrative centre is located at 154 meters abovesea level.
TheHistoric Centre of Lima is located within the district. TheWorld Heritage Site declared byUNESCO in 1988 is divided into three sites, of which two (one partially) are located in Rímac District.
The district is serviced by theMetropolitano bus system. A line of theLima and Callao Metro is being planned since 2010.
12°02′07″S77°01′38″W / 12.03528°S 77.02722°W /-12.03528; -77.02722
