I
have a very simple philosophy – nothing ventured, nothing gained - which comes
from the original belief that there is no such phrase as “Not possible” in my dictionary. Unless
one tries, one will never know if what you want is feasible or not.
The
building stands on land given in 1535 to Jeronimo de Aliaga, a follower of the
famous adventurer and conqueror Pissarro. It has been occupied by 16
generations of his descendants. Inside the interiors are just lovely with
vintage furnishings and tile work impeccably maintained by the staff. It can
only be visited through a local travel agency which has sole rights! So, our
visit was that much more important to us as we saw something which average tourists
don’t see.
As one enters, there is a courtyard. Then we climbed a few steps. The first room has an enormous bouquet of bright scarlet flowers. Beautiful. There are a few chairs and a painting on the wall. It’s the next room, the salon, which is divine. It is beautiful.
In
the centre of the house is a courtyard around which life revolves and one
presumes, evolves! There are large balconies on each of the four sides and a very
large old but well maintained ficus tree dominates the space. The balconies are
made of a teak like wood which has excellent texture and a deep mahogany
colour.
In
the dining room, there are beautiful blue tiles, reminiscent of Moroccan patterns.
There is on the chairs and if I recall correctly, as I have misplaced my notes unfortunately,
on the wall space, a sort of thin embroidered fabric or leather which is
translucent but I may be wrong. See the design and how intricate it is. The table
is laid for eight people and opens out into the veranda. As you see, the doors
are stained glass and beautiful.
Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com
In
Lima, hidden behind an innocuous doorway, is one of the most beautiful private
mansions of Lima, Peru. It is Casa Aliaga, just by the post office and the
Governor’s palace. One can easily miss it if one does not know about its
location as most locals will not tell you about it. We saw it, went and
requested permission to see it. As it was lunchtime, we were asked to return a
while later. What bliss, getting to see an awesome building which most people
will tell you is not for the public to visit.
The
building stands on land given in 1535 to Jeronimo de Aliaga, a follower of the
famous adventurer and conqueror Pissarro. It has been occupied by 16
generations of his descendants. Inside the interiors are just lovely with
vintage furnishings and tile work impeccably maintained by the staff. It can
only be visited through a local travel agency which has sole rights! So, our
visit was that much more important to us as we saw something which average tourists
don’t see. 
As one enters, there is a courtyard. Then we climbed a few steps. The first room has an enormous bouquet of bright scarlet flowers. Beautiful. There are a few chairs and a painting on the wall. It’s the next room, the salon, which is divine. It is beautiful.
It
has an Italian chandelier, sofas and chairs in two distinct seating areas along the walls, Chinese Quing dynasty vases, French carved inlaid
furniture, portraits of ancestors on the wall – at the far end of the left side wall is
the painting of the current owner. The lighting is subdued and soft. The guide
did not speak fluent English so i could not get more details on the carpet or
the central piece de resistance which was a tall carved wooden urn like artefact.
In
the centre of the house is a courtyard around which life revolves and one
presumes, evolves! There are large balconies on each of the four sides and a very
large old but well maintained ficus tree dominates the space. The balconies are
made of a teak like wood which has excellent texture and a deep mahogany
colour.
The
ceiling of what i recall as the dining room is the most striking piece. Its of carved wood with an incredible shine
which gives it the appearance of highly polished leather rather than wood.
In
the dining room, there are beautiful blue tiles, reminiscent of Moroccan patterns.
There is on the chairs and if I recall correctly, as I have misplaced my notes unfortunately,
on the wall space, a sort of thin embroidered fabric or leather which is
translucent but I may be wrong. See the design and how intricate it is. The table
is laid for eight people and opens out into the veranda. As you see, the doors
are stained glass and beautiful.
In
the penultimate room, we saw a series of family photos in silver frames. I took
a photograph of the one featuring the late matriarch with her whole family. It’s quite
an achievement to be able to say that 16 generations have lived continuously
and with pride in the same house. The guide was patient as we appreciated the
furnishings and decor of such a beautiful property.It was memorable visit.
Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com
