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Magdalena Vieja
‘A Bit of Paradise' in a Busy City
By Christine Mortimer

“Ay, by the other road from Callao to Lima, a league from of the House of our Lady of Carmen (de la Legua) to the south, is an Indian village, it is said that Madalena, with its many farms and orchards of fruit trees like those of Spain, is a bit of paradise because if its good location, lushly green under a happy sky….”

This delightful description of Magdalena Vieja was translated from “Compendio y Descripción de la Indias Occidentales” written by Antonio Vásquez de Espinosa in the 17th century.

In the 15th century, Magdalena Vieja was a vast archaeological centre, comprised of several 'huacas' (temples of worship), the largest two were called Mateo Salao and Maranga. By 1535, the area was renamed Santa María Magdalena and divided into several large haciendas, among them, Hacienda Maranga and its Chapel, and the beautiful Hacienda Orbea.

On the arrival of a new Viceroy to Lima, his first stop was the small Chapel of Carmen de La Legua, where the Staff of Office was presented to him. After a few days' rest in the guest house of the Church in Magdalena Vieja, a splendid procession was formed with all the dignitaries of the land, who gathered in order to make their way to the Palace in the Plaza Mayor of Lima.

Percy Martin, in his book Peru of the 20th Century written in 1911, described a delightful driveway leading from the district to the city as being several miles long and wide enough to be shaded by a quadruple row of palm trees. This road had been constructed by Viceroy Ambrosio O'Higgins, Marques de Osorno, in 1797. Born in Ireland, Ambrosio O'Higgins worked there as a road builder and constructor. While in South America, he improved overland communications in Argentina, Chile and Peru. During his tenure in Peru, he used his training to build a new road connecting Lima to Callao, with an impressive gateway into Callao. He fortified the port of Callao against pirates and built a fort in Pisco. Shortly before his death, he oversaw the final construction of the Cathedral of Lima.

The road (Avenida Brasil) is no longer “delightful,” though an attractive area remains around the Plaza Bolívar, where an important museum is situated, the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú. Other nearby places to visit are the Church of Magdalena Vieja, La Bodega Queirolo, and around the corner, El Bolivariano Restaurant.

The Church of Magdalena Vieja

It was in Magdalena Vieja that the Viceroys had a summer residence. On the corner of Calle Junín and Julio C. Tello, there is a house built on a raised pavement that is said to have been built in 1818 by Viceroy Don Joaquín de la Pezuela, later owned by Viceroy La Serna. In 1821-1822, it was occupied by San Martín and by Simón Bolivar in 1823-1826. In later years, the house was occupied by representatives of the French Government in Peru.

This house is known as 'The Magdalena Palace', and is a casa-quinta (smaller than a casa hacienda) and at that time, was surrounded by farmland. It still maintains its original 18th century layout. Once inside, several of the rooms are dedicated to its famous tenants: Sala Virrey Pezuela, Sala Simón Bolívar and Sala José de San Martín, all with some of the original pieces of furniture, paintings, and interesting documents pertaining to the War of Independence. Another small room is dedicated to Manuelita Sáenz, who left her rich, but dull English husband, James Thorne, for the more adventurous Bolivar!

In 1822, Don José de San Martín renamed Magdalena Vieja to Pueblo Libre “in praise of its patriotic spirit.”

There is an old bronze fountain in the middle of the park which was made by Juan de Espinoza in 1747, and a huge sculpture of Bolívar, called “El Genio” (The Genius) was placed here in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of his birth.

As Lima began spreading towards the coast, in 1875 with the inauguration of the train service to the seaside, a hotel was built at the end of the line in Magdalena del Mar. Magdalena Vieja's train station was on what is now the corner of Vivanco and Sucre. This train service ran until 1899.

Magdalena Vieja survived the War of the Pacific somewhat better than Chorrillos, Barranco, or Miraflores, simply because it was not on the route used by the conquering Chilean forces. President Francisco García Calderón chose Magdalena for his seat of government in 1881. For nine months, he endeavoured in vain to negotiate a peace treaty with Chile. His refusal to surrender Peruvian territory to the enemy ended with his incarceration and deportation to Chile. It is still a matter of pride that the Peruvian flag flew proudly over Magdalena during the war, if only for a short while.

In 1885, several local families joined forces and ordered a train from the Eiffel Importing Company. It was known as the 'French Train' and ran from Lima, passed behind the Magdalena Church to the Hotel Labrouse overlooking the ocean. This area developed into a beach resort called Mar Bella.

In 1901, the beautiful palm-lined avenue of colonial times was re-named Avenida Brasil. The 'French Train' was replaced by the British Railway Company, and along the route houses began replacing the small farms, and eventually became villages.

Eventually, the villages turned into districts that were finally absorbed into the metropolis of Lima. By then, most of Magdalena Vieja had lost its delightful old world charm.

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