Breña

For other uses, see Breña (disambiguation).
Breña
District

District sign

Location of Breña in the Lima province
Coordinates: 12°4′13″S 77°03′45″W / 12.07028°S 77.06250°WCoordinates: 12°4′13″S 77°03′45″W / 12.07028°S 77.06250°W
Country  Peru
Region Lima
Province Lima
Government
 • Mayor Angel Wu
Area
 • Total 3.22 km2 (1.24 sq mi)
Population (2005 census)
 • Total 94,808
 • Density 29,000/km2 (76,000/sq mi)
Time zone PET (UTC-5)
UBIGEO 150105
Website munibrena.gob.pe

Breña is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is part of Lima city metropolitan area. Officially established as a district on July 15, 1949, the current mayor (alcalde) of Breña is José Gordillo Abad. The district's postal code is LIM05.

History

Colonial Period

From 1618 the construction of a wall to defend the city of Lima from the possible pirate or Indian attacks had been requested from the population of Lima. More than half century later it was the Flemish presbyter Jean Raymond Coninck born in Mechelen, known astrologist of the Kingdom, that executed the project. He arrived at Peru in 1655 and due to his unique architectonic knowledge for his time because he had been disciple of the Jesuit scientists Gregorio of San Vicente and Andrés Jacquet.

The viceroy Melchor of Navarra y Rocaful, Duke of the Palata, insisted on the construction. The work began in 1685 and was inaugurated in 1687. The wall was more than 5 meters wide and 4,5 of height, and extended approximately 11,700 meters. It had 34 defensive bastions and 5 accesses to the city.

Republican Period

Lima was a walled city still in 1862, as is it shown on the 1862 map of the city made by Colonel Mariano Bolognesi. On December 2, 1869 Peruvian president Jose Balta signs the decree by which the walls are taken down, to allow urban growth. In 1878, the traveler Edmundo Cotteau makes reference to that the walls had been demolished to make room for new streets. According to P. V. Jouanny map printed by F. Dafour in Paris (1880), the city of Lima finished by the west in the avenue Circumvallation (Alfonso Ugarte), drawn up on the space that had occupied the walls of the west.

In the map of Lima elaborated by State Engineer Santiago M. Basurco, dated 1904, towards the west of the avenue Alfonso Ugarte is located the place called Chacra Colorada. Following towards the south the same avenue and bordering the Piérola avenue (Brazil), is the Breña farm (from where the name of the district comes); more to the south the Desamparados and Azcona farms are shown.

In the topographic plane of Lima, Callao and its environs (1907), appear the denominated places Breña, Chacra Colorada, Azcona (sic) and Rios. The river (irrigation channel) Magdalena or Maranga crosses from north to south, dividing Azcona and Chacra Colorada, where it would exists now the Aguarico street, follow by Napo and ending at the Avenida del rio, which determined the layout of the urbanizations and streets. This is clearly seen in the map of Ricardo Tizón I Bueno, civil engineer and surveyor (1908).

On the same year it is the map of the Electrical Company Empresas Eléctricas Asociadas (by engineer Enrique E. Silgado), that shows first all the surface of Lima, Callao, beaches and farms. Between these, they appear Breña, Chacra Colorada, Azcona, Chacra Rios and Desamparados. At this time constructions on the west side of Avenida Circumvalacion, and on the zone closest to the city on the Avenida Progreso (Venezuela). On the first centenary of the battle of Ayacucho the panoramic map of Lima (1924), the Legend hides the lots between the highway to Callao (Colonial, today Benavides) and the avenue Breña (Arica).

Foundation as a District

Desamparados Church (since 1938)

During the Government of General Manuel Odría Amoretti, by Law Nº 11059 of July 15, 1949 the Breña district was created. It took the name of the property of the same name, that corresponds to the Spanish word meaning "earth between rocks and populated with weeds" and it does not make reference, as many think to Marshal Andrés A. Cáceres nor to the Campaign of the Breña.

Breña was thought like a large industrial zone that of this a went from avenue Alfonso Ugarte to the west to Callao, and from north to south from the Rimac river to Santa Beatriz farm. The relative economic bonanza of Peru as a result of World War II and the Korean War, allowed the planning for industry and worker quarters for this district. Worth to mention one of the catholic churches was devised like art Deco monument.

Unfortunately the second half of the 20th century did live to expectations. The district, that included the urbanizations Breña, Chacra Colorada, Azcona, Chacra Rios, Dos de Mayo, Conde de las Torres and Wiese, was trimmed one decade later, losing almost half of its extension.

Geography

The district has a total land area of 3.22 km². Its administrative center is located 102 meters above sea level.

Boundaries

Demographics

According to XI Population Census 2007 organized by the INEI, the district has 81909 inhabitants (enumerated) and a population density of 25438,6 persons/km². In 2007, there were 22189 households in the district.

Authorities

Mayors

Main article: Mayors of Breña District

Currently mayor:

Festivities

External links