Founded in 1540, "La Cuidad Blanca", with a population of one million, is Peru's second largest city. Most of the historical center of the city is built of pearl white sillar stone, a volcanic rock (hence the nickname, which means White City). Arequipa's spectacular cultural heritage, and its setting next to majestic volcanoes, led to the city's being declared a UNESCO Cultural heritage site in 2000.
Arequipa's Colonial Heritage
Although the earthquake prone city has been rebuilt several times, some of the original colonial buildings have survived, and many that were reconstructed in later periods merge a blend of colonial and native Indian masonry in style. It is this european-mestizo baroque architecture which helped Arequipa attain its UNESCO heritage listing.
