Jirón de la Unión, a boulevard created in 1535 by the city’s founder Francisco Pizarro, is a five block pedestrian link between Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martín. It once represented the glory of Lima Centro. This shopping district has lost a lot of its former status. Better shopping alternatives can be found in Miraflores or the big malls. But architecture fans will enjoy the colorful facades. Along the way you will catch glimpses of baroque, rococo, neo-classicism, art nouveau and neo-colonial. Almost all have ornate balconies and were built after the 1746 earthquake leveled the city.
