Historical Plazas of Lima

A long Uber ride took us to the historic district of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There we walked through Plaza San Martin also known as Plaza Aramis or Army.  It is surrounded by the Presidential Palace, City Hall and the San Franciscan Cathedral where we toured the underground catacombs. The church was completed in 1620.

Following a short tour of the interior of the church (no photography allowed) we headed into the crypts. They estimate that over 25,000 individuals were buried here.  Most of what is seen is skulls, tibias and femurs as those are the largest bones that have not deteriorated yet. Supposedly St. Francis of Assisi is buried here as is a body part of Jesus.  Bones are moved after two years to make room for others.  It was not known until after 1968 how many persons were buried here when the tombs were opened, cleaned, organized and opened to the public.