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Lima · Mysteries & legends

Bones, saints and heretics: the Lima told in whispers

For centuries Lima was the most devout city in South America, and also one of the most feared for its tribunals. This route follows the centre's enigmas: where the Inquisition sat in judgement, what lies beneath San Francisco, why Pizarro's tomb held the wrong occupant for almost a century, and which miracles are credited to Lima's saints. We always separate what the documents say from what tradition tells.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.1 km
  • 1 h 55 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Skulls and bones arranged in the catacombs of the San Francisco monastery in Lima

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Inquisition TribunalBehind this columned façade, the Holy Office tried heretics, crypto-Jews, pirates and alleged witches for 250 years.
  2. 2 San Francisco Monastery and CatacombsBeneath one of Lima's loveliest churches lie the neatly sorted bones of thousands of colonial-era limeños.
  3. 3 Lima Cathedral and Pizarro's TombFor almost a century people prayed before the wrong mummy of Francisco Pizarro, until workers opened a forgotten niche.
  4. 4 Basilica of Santo DomingoThree Lima saints rest here, among them a mixed-race friar credited with astonishing miracles.
  5. 5 Sanctuary of Saint Rose of LimaThe first saint of the Americas was born in this house, and in its garden is a well where thousands of limeños drop letters every year.
  6. 6 Church of Las NazarenasA Christ painted on an adobe wall by an enslaved Angolan survived earthquakes that brought down half of Lima.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Bones, saints and heretics: the Lima told in whispers

Underground Lima

The catacombs of San Francisco and the crypts of the cathedral hold thousands of remains and more than one forensic mystery.

Saints of flesh and blood

Saint Rose and Saint Martin de Porres lived in these streets: you'll see her house, her well and their relics.

Legend and record

Every stop carefully separates what is proven from what belongs to popular devotion.

Keep exploring

More routes in Lima

Back to Lima
HistoryFrom the City of Kings to the Republic: Lima in six scenes EssentialsLima on the Pacific: Miraflores to Barranco along the clifftops