Government Palace, Peru
Building in Lima, Peru / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Government Palace (Spanish: Palacio de Gobierno), also known as the House of Pizarro, is the seat of the executive branch of the Peruvian government, and the official residence of the president of Peru.[1] The palace is a stately government building, occupying the northern side of the Plaza Mayor in Peru's capital city, Lima. Set on the Rímac River, the palace occupies the site of a very large huaca ("revered object") that incorporated a shrine to Taulichusco, the last kuraka (indigenous governor) of Lima.
| Government Palace House of Pizarro | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neobaroque |
| Town or city | Lima |
| Country | Peru |
| Construction started | 1535 (first construction) 24 August 1937 (latest renovation) |
| Client | Government of Peru |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Most recent renovations: Claude Antoine Sahut Laurent (France); Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski (Poland) |
The first Government Palace was built by Francisco Pizarro, governor of New Castile, in 1535. When the Viceroyalty of Peru was established in 1542, it became the viceroy's residence and seat of government. The most recent alterations to the building were completed in the 1930s, under the direction of President Oscar R. Benavides during his second term of office. The chief architects were Claude Antoine Sahut Laurent and Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski.
A number of ceremonial guard units of the Peruvian Armed Forces are stationed at the palace, and participate in the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony and other official duties.