Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Peru Earthquake: Remembering Pisco


I'm sorry but I can't blog about Peruvian food this week; my most recent thoughts about Peru still have to do with last week's devastating earthquake. Bear with me.

Prior to the earthquake, the city of Pisco (about two hours south of Lima) was a historic small town, famous for its colonial architecture, its rich fishing and trading history, and the fact it gives its name to the most traditional Peruvian spirit: pisco.

For thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the region was home to ancient Peruvians who thrived due to its proximity to abundant sea life. The Spanish founded the colonial city in 1640, and during the Viceregal period, it was an important port for the Peruvian colony. In 1820, Peru's liberator, José de San Martín, disembarked in Pisco and lived there for a short while. The first flag of independent Peru was designed in Pisco.

It is a region long visited by many tourists, both local and foreign, because of its rich agriculture, its wine and pisco producing heritage, and its proximity to some of Peru's most beautiful coastline, located in the National Paracas Reserve, which includes the Ballesta Islands, home to rich marine and bird life.

Now, Pisco has been destroyed. Surely, it will rise again, as it did after the earthquake of 1680, but with 80% of its buildings in ruins, the new Pisco will no longer have the genteel colonial air it once had.

These photos are of a Pisco that is no longer.











Photos: TiggerT





Photos: Steve Burt



Photos: sancho_panza












All photographs shown in this post are under a Creative Commons license.



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TAGS: Peru, Peruvian, food, cooking, cuisine, cocina, comida, gastronomía, peruana

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Well yeah i liked this post abotu Pisco, and i have some link in my blog that you may like, so the people that want to Pisco, Ica, Huancavelica, Chincha may visit so that they can help them:

http://bloodyashes.blogspot.com/2007/08/links-para-ayudar.html
or
http://bloodyashes.blogspot.com/2007/08/informacion-de-como-ayudar.html
I hope you can help
take care and have a nice day

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Alejandro, for the pics of Pisco as it was - it did me a lot of good.

As you might imagine, the archaeological community is trying to care first for the people and second to begin assessing the damage to sites and museums. Recovery is going to be a long road.

Unbelievable. Thanks, and all best -CC

Patricia said...

How nice to see some pictures of Pisco before the earthquake. So sad Ive never been there before, but I'll include it in my next trip home.