thumb|Plaza de Armas? of Pisco in 2001. The now destroyed church in the background
Pisco is a city in the Ica Region of Peru, the capital of the Pisco Province. The city is around 9 metres (28 feet) above sea level. Pisco originally prospered because of its nearby vineyards and is the namesake of the Peruvian grape liquor, pisco.
The area is normally visited because of the concentration of marine animals and birds at the Paracas National Reservation, or the Peruvian Galapagos. At the reserve there are the Ballestas Islands, which are off limits to people, but boat tours can get close. The Chincha Islands are also near its coast. On the islands there are many birds, including pelicans, penguins, cormorants, Peruvian boobies, and Inca terns. There are also sea lions, turtles, dolphins, and whales.
The Pisco origins are from one of the major ancient civilizations in Peru, the Paracas culture. Due to its ease of access, and its crossroads to the Andes the Spanish considered making Pisco the capital, before they decided on Lima.
In the city is the Plaza de Armas, where people hang out and buy tejas, small sweets made from pecans and assorted dried fruits. Many different building that surround the Plaza are the statue of Jose de San Martin, the mansion he lived in, and the Municipal Palace. Other building in the city is the heavy Baroque Iglesia de la Compania, begun in 1689, features a superb carved pulpit and gold-leaf altarpiece.
Near the town, just off the road to Ayacucho, lies the large well-preserved Inca site of Tambo Colorado.
The city has a population of 116,865 people.
2007 earthquake
The city was very near the epicenter of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake which struck south central Peru on Wenesday August 15, 2007. Media officials reported that 80% of the city was destroyed, including the central San Clemente Cathedral of Pisco, in which a Mass was occurring at the time of the earthquake. As many as 100 deaths were reported within the cathedral.
External links
Other pages about Cities in Peru
-Abancay -Alerta -Andahuaylas -Andoas -Arequipa -Atalaya, Ucayali -Ayacucho -Bagua, Peru -Cabana, Peru -Cajamarca -Cajunga -Callao -Camana -Carhuaz -Casma -Catacaos -Cerro de Pasco -Chachapoyas, Peru -Chanchamayo -Chiclayo -Chimbote -Chivay -Chulucanas -Churin, Peru -Cusco -Huacho -Huamachuco District -Huancavelica -Huancayo -Huaraz -Huarmey -Ica (city) -Ilo -Iquitos -Jaen, Peru -Jaravi -Jauja -Juliaca -La Merced, Junin -La Oroya -Lambayeque, Peru -Laraos District -Mancora -Maras, Peru -Matarani -Mendoza (Peru) -Mollendo -Moquegua -Moyobamba -Ollantaytambo -Otuzco -Oxapampa -Paita -Paramonga -Pisco, Peru -Piura -Pucallpa -Puerto Maldonado -Punchana -Puno -Quinua, Peru -Salaverry -San Pedro de Lloc -San Ramon, Junin -San Vicente de Canete -Sechura -Sullana -Tacna -Talara -Tambogrande -Tarapoto -Tarma -Tingo Maria -Trujillo, Peru -Tumbes (city) -Urubamba, Peru -Villa de Jumbilla -Yanahuara -Yungay, Peru
Other pages about Peruvian cuisine
-Agua Vida -Alfajor -Anticuchos -Arroz a la cubana -Carne arrollada -Cazuela (Peru) -Ceviche -Chicha -Chicharron -Chifa -Chipasmute -Chuno -Cielo -Empanada -Escabeche -Fruti Kola -Guinea pig -Huatia -Humita -Humitas de choclo -Inca Kola -Kola Inglesa -Kola Real -Locro -Lomo saltado (cuisine) -Lucuma -Lupinus mutabilis -Manjar blanco -Milanesa -Natillas -Pachamanca -Papa a la Huancaina -Papa rellena -Peru Cola -Peruvian cuisine -Pisco -Pisco Sour -Platanos rellenos -Purtumute -Reyna Kola -Salchipapas -Sporade -Tamale -Tamalito
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Pisco,_Peru
