The colonial history of Lima officially began in 1535, when Francisco Pizarro founded the city, declared that the Plaza Mayor was the main square and placed the first stone of the cathedral on the same day. Pizarro, the ruler of the city, also granted land next to what would be the Government Palace in the main square to his deserving defender, Don Jerónimo de Aliaga, one of the first settlers in Lima. Both Aliaga's house and the palace were built at the same time and on the remains of a Huaca, a Taulichusco sanctuary, the chief who ruled the Rimac Valley before the arrival of the Spaniards.

The Casa de Aliaga is as old as the city of Lima itself, and it is said to be the oldest house in South America, still inhabited by the family that once built it. The Aliagas have lived there for 17 generations. For centuries, it has been damaged and renovated several times during earthquakes, resulting in a mixture of different architectural styles. We were fortunate to have visited the morning of a pending afternoon wedding, hence the abundance of roses adorning the rooms and interior passageways.