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Nickname(s): La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera
(The City of Eternal Spring)
| Region | La Libertad | Province | Trujillo |
| Founded | 6 Dec 1534 | Government | Democracy |
| Elevation | 112 ft | Population | 790,225 |
Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru.[1] The city is located on the banks of the Moche River, near its mouth at the Pacific Ocean, in a valley of great cultural hegemony.
While it may be conceived as a single city, Trujillo is not a single administrative unit; rather, it is the core or center of a major metropolitan area that covers an area of 110,000 ha,[2] and consists of 9 municipalities in the province, of which 5 are completely metropolitan area, while the remaining 4 are partially. The metropolitan area has a population of more than 804,000 inhabitants, the third most populous of Peru.
Trujillo was honored with the title "Meritorious City and Faithful to the Fatherland",[3] for its role in the fight for independence. Trujillo is the birthplace of Peru's judiciary, and it was twice designated as the capital of the country. It was the scene of the Revolution of Trujillo in 1932.
Trujillo is known as the "City of Eternal Spring", "National Marinera Capital" and "Culture Capital of Peru".[4] It has sponsored numerous national and international cultural events, and has a lively arts community. Current festivals include the "National Marinera Contest", the "International Festival of Spring" and the "International Book Fair",[5] which is one of the most important cultural events in the country.[6]
Trujillo is close to two major archaeological sites of pre-Columbian monuments: Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the ancient world, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986; and the temples of the Sun (the largest adobe pyramid in Peru) and Moon.[7]
The city centre contains many examples of colonial and religious architecture incorporating distinctive wrought ironwork. It includes residential areas, a central business district and industrial supply distribution to the various districts. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trujillo has its seat here. Catholicism still dominates and 10 colonial churches remain inside Avenida Espana, with those of Huaman, Huanchaco and Moche within 15 kilometres of Trujillo's centre.
History
Trujillo was one of the first cities in the Americas founded by the conquistadors, although the surrounding area had been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. The Spanish conquistador Diego de Almagro with founded the first settlement on December 6, 1534[8] and calling it Nova Castile Trujillo, after the home city of Francisco Pizarro. It was founded among four Chimù settlements: Huanchaco, Huamán, Moche & Mampuesto, to create an alliance against the Incas.
Trujillo was established within the Viceroyalty of Peru by Pizarro on March 5, 1535.[9], which is often given as an alternative founding date. On 23 November 1537, King Charles I of Spain gave the town the rank of 'city' and the coat of arms that remains a symbol for the city. By 1544 Trujillo had around 300 homes and 1000 inhabitants, and an economy booming from the cultivation of sugar cane, wheat, and other food crops and the raising of livestock.
Trujillo welcomed a diverse array of religious orders from its foundation, resulting in a boom in church construction in the city during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In 1577 Pope Gregory XIII created the Diocese of Trujillo and in 1616 construction work commenced on the cathedral.
On 14 February 1619, Trujillo was struck by an earthquake, resulting in the near-total destruction of the city and the deaths of around 400 of its inhabitants. There followed a slow process of rebuilding and a devotion to St Valentine, on whose day the destruction had occurred. The Jesuits opened a seminary and school for education and the training of priests; they also served as missionaries to the indigenous peoples.
Due to the threat of pirate and privateer raids to a city only 4km from the sea, a city wall was constructed between 1687 and 1689. The wall was elliptical in design to save on construction costs and comprised 15 bastions, 15 shades and 5 covers. It had a perimeter of 5.5 km and involved the use of more than 100,000 bricks. However the wall lacked the height, ditches or embankments to provide an effective defence during the two centuries it stood.
In the latter half of the seventeenth century, severe droughts and pestilence caused a major economic crisis for the city, whose economic mainstay was providing food for the region. Trujillo regained prominence in the eighteenth century, in part due to the destruction of the city of Sana by flooding in 1720. Trujillo also suffered from flooding in 1701, 1728, 1720 and 1814, and further earthquakes in 1725 and 1759.
By 1760 an estimated 9200 people were living in the vicinity of the city. The foundation of the Municipality of Trujillo in 1779 coincided with the heyday of the city, although urban development remained incomplete, with numerous undeveloped lots within the city walls. Nevertheless, Trujillo was regarded as one of the most important cities in Northern Peru during the colonial era, and a rival to Lima.
Independence
Influenced by the liberal ideas of its educational institutions, Trujillo became a principle centre of Peruvian republican sentiments. Led by city major José Bernardo de Tagle, the city of Trujillo declared its independence from Spain on December 29 1820, making it arguably the first city in the country to declare independence.
Between 1821 and 1825 the Trujillo region was the only stable and productive land within the nascent republic. In 1823 Trujillo took on the role of the first capital city of the Republic of Peru. It was from Trujillo on July 19th 1823 that the Peruvian Congress reiterated the invitation to Simon Bolivar to join the war of independence.
In 1824 the city received the liberating army of Simon Bolivar, and became the seat of government once again, making it the only city to have twice been made capital of Peru.
The years following the revolution saw the a growth in the economic influence of the city, compensating for a loss of political power to Lima, which instead suffered from the resulting political turmoil. The Moche and Chicama valleys emerged as new economic enclaves for the sugar industry, with land increasingly concentrated in large estates created the new "agricultural aristocracy" linked to national political power. A policy of free trade and openness to foreign investment lead to an influx of Europeans, principally from England and Germany. By then, Trujillo housed 15,000 people and began to grow beyond the city walls. New architectural styles were adopted, influenced by French and English Romanticism.
During the war with Chile between 1879 and 1883, Trujillo contributed troops towards national defence. Trujillo, although not the scene of the battle, suffered from occupation by Chilean troops and their plundering of the surrounding countryside.
The month of July 1932 saw Trujillo once again at the centre of one of the most important episodes in the history of the Republic of Peru " Trujillo's 1932 revolution", which cost the lives of many citizens. Although this year came to be known as the "Year of barbarism", it would also mark the political identity of the city during the second half of the twentieth century.
The latter half of the twentieth century saw the expansion of the city due to a combination of rural-urban migration and the consolidation of surrounding districts into the Trujillo metropolitan area.
Climate
Trujillo has an extremely dry desert climate with an average temperature of 21°C (70°F). The summers can reach temperatures over 32°C (90°F) and the winters are never colder than 14°C (57°F). Most of the year, the temperature stays in the low to mid twenties.
This city is known as La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera (The City of Eternal Spring), because of its sunny and pleasant weather year-round. The International Spring Festival in early October attracts visitors from all over Peru and the world.
Economy
In the 19th century, the city of Trujillo greatly expanded due to extensive irrigated agriculture, with high production and profits from the sugarcane industry. Today, asparagus, rice and shoes are the area's main products.
The irrigated lands of the Moche River Valley produce sugarcane, rice, and asparagus. Industries in the city include the sugar refineries, knitting mills, breweries and the shoe industry. Among the internationally known products of Trujillo, asparagus is exported to neighboring countries, Europe and the United States. The areas around Trujillo are among the largest exporters of white asparagus in the world. Peru is the world’s leading exporter of asparagus, followed by China and Mexico – [1].
Trujillo is the most important economic center of northern Peru; it is an inland commercial and transport center for the surrounding farming areas. Its numerous shopping malls, supermarkets, department stores, and similar amenities make Trujillo a modern city.
Demographics
Trujillo is the third most populous city in Peru, with a population of over 800,000 in the metropolitan area as of 2007.[10] The city has 49.69% of the population of La Libertad Region and 2.9% of the total of Peru.
Tourism
Tourism is a major industry in Trujillo due to the city's proximity to important sites where the Moche and Chimu civilizations evolved. These civilizations had highly skilled artisans, and many of their artifacts having been found during archaeological digs in the city. Nearby ruins include the Chimu adobe city of Chan Chan, the world's largest city built from that material. It is sometimes called Ciudad de la Luna (City of the Moon) because the people worshipped the moon; or de las Largas Murallas (of the Long Walls). In size and complexity, it has been compared with Teotihuacan in Mexico, and the ancient cities of Egypt. Other nearby ruins are the Moche ruins of Huaca del Sol, Huaca de la Luna, and El Brujo.
Trujillo aspires to be designated a World Heritage Site, because of the proximity of both cultures and its historical colonial city centre, whose historic casonas (mansions) attract many visitors. The mansions and manors of Trujillo are distinguished for their solemn and austere facades. Inside, their halls are overflowing with ornaments.
Trujillo's wrought-iron window railings are a unique feature of the mansions. The House of Ganoza-Chopitea (casa Ganoza) has a polychromatic front in the baroque style, crowned by a rococo frontispiece and two lions. It is the city's most representative example of casonas architecture. Another is the House of Mayorazgo, which was built in the early years of the city and holds one of Peru's greatest numismatic collections. The revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar lived in a house on the Plaza de Armas.
The world-famous beach Huanchaco, a surfing destination, is located just north of Trujillo.
Trujillo's restaurants offer a wide variety of local food, such as shambar, mostly served on Mondays; ceviche, sopa teologa and cabrito.
Transportation
The city is connected to all the main coastal cities by the Pan-American Highway. Important to the city's transportation network is the Cap. FAP Carlos Martínez de Pinillos International Airport.
The port towns of Salaverry and Chicama (Puerto Malabrigo) are used for maritime connection with the world.
Missions
Peru Mission is a missions/church-planting organization representing North American Reformed and Presbyterian denominations including the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The organization has planted or revitalized five churches in Trujillo, specifically in the historic center of Trujillo (Iglesia Presbiteriana "Cristo Rey"), as well as the districts of Wichanzao (Iglesia Presbiteriana Wichanzao), Manuel Arevalo (Arevalo Presbyterian Church), and Parque Industrial (Iglesia Presbiteriana "Redentor"). The Wichanzao Parish Medical Clinic, Sinergia Microfinance Bank, Parish Woodship, San Agustín Language Institute, and the Saint Augustin Society (university ministry) are other ministries of Peru Mission.
Education
Trujillo is home to many higher education institutions, including the majority of the universities and vocational institutes in northern Peru. The most recognized universities are the National University of Trujillo, one of the most important universities in Perú, which was created on May 10, 1824 bySimon Bolivar.
Other well-known universities are Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego; Universidad Privada Cesar Vallejo; Universidad Alas Peruanas;Universidad Privada del Norte, which belongs to Laurete International University of Laureate Education Inc. being the second International University in Peru; the archdiocesan seminary; the Universidad Católica de Trujillo; and Universidad Privada de Trujillo.
Notable natives and residents
- César Vallejo, poet, lived in Trujillo from 1910 to 1917.
- Antenor Orrego, First peruvian political philosopher, lived in Trujillo from 1910 to 1940.
- Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, political leader who founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA).1924.
- Teofilo Tinoco Caballero, lawyer and professor, born in Trujillo, lived from 1917 to 1994.
- Luis Banchero Rossi, chemical-industrial engineer(UNT,1950), He was the most important peruvian businessman in s.XX. He lived in
Trujillo from 1940 to 1955.
- Milly Ahon, marinera dancer, she created original style in marinera dance. She was first marinera's queen in 1960. Now she is mayor
at Escuela de Folklore Jose Maria Arguedas in Lima.
- Maria Julia Mantilla, Miss World 2004
- Henry Ian Cusick, Emmy-nominated actor.
- Teodoro Rivero Ayllón, writer and professor
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