#708 Peru

Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central coastal part of the country, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area. With a population approaching 9 million, Lima is the most populous metropolitan area of Peru, and the fifth largest city in the Americas (as defined by "city proper").

Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, as Ciudad de los Reyes. It became the capital and most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the Republic of Peru. Today, around one-third of the Peruvian population lives in the metropolitan area.

Lima is home to one of the oldest higher learning institutions in the New World. The National University of San Marcos, founded on May 12, 1551 during Spanish colonial regime, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas.

In October 2013, Lima was chosen in a ceremony in Toronto to host the 2019 Pan American Games.

Wikipedia.org

The Torre Tagle Palace is a Spanish Baroque palace located at Jr. Ucayali 363, in downtown Lima, Peru, a couple blocks east of the Plaza de Armas. The palace currently is home to the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The palace was commissioned in 1715 (some say 1730) by Don Jose Bernardo de Tagle y Bracho: 1st Marqués of Torre Tagle, who at the time was treasurer of the Royal Spanish fleet, for his own personal use as his home.

The exterior of the palace has a baroque stone doorway. The main facade is made from stone in the first wing and plaster in the second. The style is Sevillian baroque with a strong Mudéjar influence. The materials used in its construction were brought from Spain, Panama and Central America.

Apart from carved columns, the palace is distinguished by two finely worked balconies in dark wood. These balconies (or miradors) adapt the European architecture to vernacular Peruvian tradition. The interiors feature Sevillian tiles, plasterwork, wooden columns, lobed Moorish arches and soaring coffered ceilings. It is considered to have a true "Limeño" architectural originality, harmoniously combining Andalusian, Moorish, Criollo and Asian features.

The public cannot easily visit the inside, but some visits can be made by appointment only at the office of 'Imagen Institucional del organismo público'.

Wikipedia.org

It's in the List of UNESCO WHS as a part of Historic Centre of Lima.

Property No #500

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1988

Aitäh, Mk !

Sent on: July 2, 2014

Received on: August 11, 2014

#660 Vilnius, Lithuania

The Tiškevičiai Palace, Tiskevičius Palace, or Tyszkiewicz Palace (Lithuanian: Tiškevičių rūmai) is a Neo-Renaissance style building in Palanga, Lithuania, built for the Tyszkiewicz (Tiškevičiai) family. The construction was started in 1893 and finished in 1897. The palace is surrounded by a park with ponds, fountains, and collections of rare plants. Since 1963 the palace has housed the Palanga Amber Museum and is surrounded by the Palanga Botanical Garden.

The museum's collection of amber comprises about 28,000 pieces, of which about 15,000 contain inclusions of insects, spiders, or plants. About 4,500 pieces of amber are exhibited; many of these are items of artwork and jewelry. The museum holds the third largest amber specimen in Europe, the "Sun Stone", weighing over 3.5 kilograms, which has been stolen twice. The cultural and artistic exhibits of museum currently include a 15th-century ring, a 16th-century cross, and amber jewelry from the past four centuries, as well as a number of modern decorations.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: June 16, 2014

Received on: June 18, 2014

#453 Foulayronnes, France

The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles.

When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.

Wikipedia.org

Property No #83

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1979

Thank you, Patrick !

Sent on: December 14, 2013

Received on: December 19, 2013

#144 Anseong, South Korea

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace -- is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1395, later burned and abandoned for almost three centuries, and then reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name means "Palace" [Gung] "Greatly Blessed by Heaven" [Gyeongbok].

Geunjeongjeon (Hangul: 근정전; Hanja: 勤政殿), also known as Geunjeongjeon Hall, is the throne hall where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon Dynasty. The building was designated as Korea's National Treasure No. 223 on January 8, 1985.

Geunjeongjeon was originally constructed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo, but was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea. The present building was built in 1867 when Gyeongbokgung was being reconstructed. The name Geunjeongjeon, created by the minister Jeong Dojeon, means "diligence helps governance."

Wikipedia.org

Aitäh, Arvi !

Sent on: October 11, 2012

Received on: October 20, 2012

PS: I have no idea what this Korean word(s) means, If somebody knows, please tell me.

#108 Madrid, Spain | ES-168887

The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Spanish: Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso) is an 18th century palace in the small town of San Ildefonso in the hills near Segovia, 80 km north of Madrid, central Spain, formerly the summer residence of the Kings of Spain since the reign of Philip V. The palace is in a restrained baroque style surrounded by extensive gardens in the French manner and sculptural fountains. It is now open to the public as a museum.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Juliet !

I love this card !

(PS: I love her handwriting, too.)

Received on: July 31, 2012

Travel time: 31 days

Distance: 9362 km (5817 miles)