Lima's Aliaga House - the oldest and most well known family in Lima

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.

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.

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