Лима балкондары: Перу колониялық архитектурасының ескерткіштері

Spanish Colonial architectural features in Peru

The balconies of Lima are items of cultural heritage built during the Viceroyalty of Peru and the Republic of Peru. Most of these balconies are of the Viceroyalty period, built in the late 17th and 18th centuries, are located in the Historic Center of Lima. They were adapted for residential purposes and have influenced the lives of many Peruvian scholars such as the 19th century writer Ricardo Palma. The balconies have been crucial in UNESCO's declaration of the Historic Center of Lima as a World Heritage Site.

Peruvian colonial architecture in the Viceroyalty of Peru developed in the 16th to the 19th century, when Latin America was conquered by the Spaniards. Balconies in Lima were built in the Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical and Neo Baroque styles and had Mediterranean, Moorish and Andalusian influences. The Renaissance and Baroque styles emerged as a result of European influence. The Renaissance idea that the nobility of a building characterized a city's grandiosity permeated in Lima's architecture. Baroque architecture of this period, characterized by exuberance and heavy ornamentation, is prevalent as well. In the 18th century, the Rococo style permeated in Lima, as a result of French influence. This style embraced ornamentation and playful themes. Casa Goyeneche, built in 1863, is noted for its French influence. The Moors also influenced Peruvian architecture. Closed wooden balconies, also called miradores, were inherited from the Mashrabiya tradition of Moorish architecture, as the Moors occupied Southern Spain.

The main features of the balconies are the lattice, still and baluster. The wooden balconies projecting at upper levels also allow for privacy and air circulation, an essential feature for buildings in warmer countries. Non rounded balconies were introduced in Spain in the 18th century. Balconies of the 15th to the 17th century are noted for their openness, while balconies built after that period are more closed. Sevillan azulejos and mosaics are used in the construction of the balconies.

In the 18th century, viceroys would stand on the balconies to address the colonists. In churches, the balconies also provided abbesses the chance to observe Mass while avoid being seen. So committed was he to their salvation that he compared the balconies' importance to that of the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and the lions in Trafalgar Square. The abundance of these balconies adds to the particular harmony and originality to this part of the city.

Mario Vargas Llosa's play, The Madmen of the Balconies, is centered around the balconies. Its protagonist, Aldo Brunelli attempts to salvage them from destruction. Evelyn Fishburn has noted that the play provides a good overview of the defenders of history and those who push for modernism. Brunelli's name is an amalgamation of Bruno Roselli. The City of Balconies is the setting to Jim Crace's novel Six, published by Viking in 2003. The city in the novel is imaginary.