Casa de Aliaga, Lima

A review of a guided visit of the Casa de Aliaga, not just Lima’s oldest colonial mansion, but the oldest house in the Americas continuously occupied by the same family. Does that sound like something the Salterton Arts Review would miss? Not likely!

The Casa (de) Aliaga

Before my recent visit to Lima, I did some research about the places I might like to visit. Actually, I did this twice. Once when I first booked the trip in early 2020. And again when it became apparent that I was finally going to be able to go in 2022! This second research phase was essential because not all sites had reopened when I visited in May 2022. I talk more about it here.

One place which I read about and found intriguing was the Casa de Aliaga (which I’ve also seen as Casa Aliaga). The Casa de Aliaga represents an interesting family story; a nice demonstration of Peruvian history in a nutshell; and an interesting private/public blend (this last one is for my fellow museum nerds).

The last museum we visited together in Lima, the Museo de Sitio Bodega y Quadra, had a lot of information about the early days of Spanish cities in Peru. Basically, wherever the Spanish set up shop, the model was to plan out a strict grid system around a central plaza (normally Plaza de Armas). Parcels of land were then apportioned to the different religious orders and to private citizens.

In the case of Lima, the Plaza de Armas was built on a pre-existing Inca square (a blend of recycling and kicking the locals while they’re down?) – for instance the Catedral de Lima was once the site of a shrine to Puma Inti. The plot of land given by Francisco Pizarro to Jeronimo de Aliaga was previously occupied by Inca chieftain Taulichusco, the highest authority in the Rimac Valley. Not a bad spot.

And the Aliaga family have stayed ever since. Seventeen generations! The house isn’t the same exact one from the time of the founding of Lima. Partly due to seismic activity, of course. But this longevity means it’s the oldest house occupied by the same family by all of the Americas. Intriguing, right?

The Casa de Aliaga as Museum

So with the Casa de Aliaga being a private home, and home to a prominent family, no less, how does that work as a museum? Well, it has been one for a good few decades now. The idea was to share the oldest parts of the house (with their collections of historic art and furniture) with visitors, while keeping the private apartments separate for the family. Thus creating a source of income to help with maintenance. You can read an interesting article about it here.

Before the pandemic it seems that tourism was pretty well developed at the Casa de Aliaga. They were welcoming approximately 8,000 visitors a year (a lot of them cruise ship tourists if I read between the lines) and were developing their offering of unique dining experiences. When I visited things seemed a lot quieter. I’m not sure the dining is back. And I was the only visitor there during my tour. Not the only person there, as guides are a must. I also met a member of the family passing through – he greeted me very graciously.

I’ve spoken previously about the status of tour guides in Peru generally. It’s a country where it’s a licensed profession. And almost any site you go to will have a few guides politely encouraging you to engage their services. In the case of the Casa de Aliaga, I absolutely understand the requirement to visit with a guide. You can’t just have people traipsing through your house willy nilly. And structuring it so that you need a private guide (rather than creating your own museum set up and staffing the place as such) makes it a much easier and cheaper endeavour for the family. Overall a smart compromise between the public and private spheres.

A last note on tours: I chose to do one with Peruvian Worldview Tours, named Casa Aliaga and Historical Buildings. This was a good choice: it includes hotel pickup, an interesting walk through the city, and a pisco sour at the end at a historic hotel bar. My guide Sofia was excellent!

Visiting the Casa de Aliaga

So far in this post we’ve discussed the background to the house. And nerded out over its transformation into a museum. But what is it like to visit? In a word, wonderful. I’ve been to many a stately home in the UK, but this was somehow a very different experience. As a reminder there are still private apartments, so you’re not visiting the whole house. But what you see is absolutely exquisite. There are a few different rooms, like a reception room, dining room and bedroom. And even the family’s private chapel, once visited by Santa Rosa de Lima herself. As was very common in colonial Peru, the rooms are arranged around a shaded central courtyard. When I visited, the tinkling of the water feature combined with piano music drifting from the private rooms. When I say it was bliss, I’m not really exaggerating.

In terms of the family’s art collection, it is probably what you would expect (or have seen in the photos above). Heavy wooden furniture. Leather backed chairs. Paintings from the Cusco School, most with religious themes. Hand-painted tiles, imported from Spain. The comparison with English stately homes comes to mind once more: it’s the aesthetic of family wealth and stability over centuries. And it still manages to feel lived in: sure, there are ropes in some rooms keeping you away from the furniture. But there are also small tables and chairs set out invitingly around the courtyard, suggesting conversations over coffee. And the odd incongruous detail like the family’s modern car parked at the bottom of the stairs.

I’m so glad I visited the Casa de Aliaga. My time in the house was actually quite brief, but I found it both inspiring and refreshing. I booked my tour with Peruvian Worldview Tours on my last night in Peru, and seeing this beautiful house, followed by discussion over a cocktail, was a wonderful way to finish.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4.5/5