Street Wise
Avenida Petit Thouars Named for Protector of Lima
By Virginia Vickers Braun
Editor's Note: Virginia Vickers Braun, author of the Flora portion of the “Flora and Fauna” column and who recently began to write “Street Wise,” will be leaving Lima next month. The ACAP Newsletter will miss her. If you are interested in contributing to the continuation of these columns, please contact me at editor@acap-peru.org. |
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Vice Admiral Abel Bergasse du Petit Thouars, of France, is credited with saving Lima from being sacked and pillaged during the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) against Chile. As head of the foreign diplomatic corps and representative of the foreign navies stationed in Callao which included France, England and Italy he acted to protect Lima, as well as their own countries' economic interests. After Peruvian forces were defeated in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores, and Chorrillos was brutally destroyed, Petit Thouars, along with English Ambassador Sir Spencer St. John and Rear Admiral Frederick H. Stirling, were convinced they had to protect the “Pearl of the Pacific,” as Lima was then known. Petit Thouars and his delegation appealed directly to the head of the Chilean Army, Gen. Manual Baquedano, and also hosted a meeting between the mayor of Lima and Gen. Baquedano to arrange for the peaceful occupation of the city, thus saving innumerable lives and valuable personal property.
