My first stop in Peru was Arequipa, the second largest city in the country with a population of almost one million people. Known as the “White City” because many of its buildings are built of a white volcanic rock called sillar, several of its Spanish colonial buildings are excellent examples of the churrigueresque, a form of the Spanish Baroque distinguished by its elaborate use of ornamentation.
The Jesuit church of La Compania is a wonderful example. Begun in 1654, the facade was completed in 1698.
Iglesia de la Compania facade
- Cloister of La Compania
Details of column in La Compania cloister
This was not my first exposure to this style of architecture. Many of the buildings designed by Bertram Goodhue for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego were of this style. And they, of course, were featured on postcards published by Fred Harvey.
La Laguna de las Flores, Panama-California Exposition
La Laguna de las Flores at the Panama-California Exposition
Balboa park building facade