La Cruz del Viajero
Encyclopedia
La Cruz del Viajero is a monument placed by Franciscan
monks in 1672 in the small town of Magdalena Vieja (now Pueblo Libre
), just outside Lima
, the capital city of Peru
, and the old centre of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.
This followed a tradition started by Conquistador
Francisco Pizarro
, requiring the placement of a cross on the main routes to other parts of the country. Travellers would stop at the cross to ask for protection on their journeys, either across Peru or via ship to Central America or Spain, where the cross was made.
The old cross remains near the centre of the modern-day district of Pueblo Libre and is one of its main attractions.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monks in 1672 in the small town of Magdalena Vieja (now Pueblo Libre
Pueblo Libre
Pueblo Libre is a district of the Lima Province in Peru and one of the districts that comprise the city of Lima. Its name, which means Free Town or Free People, was granted by José de San Martín on April 10, 1822 as a recognition of the patriotism shown by its inhabitants during the Peruvian War of...
), just outside Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, the capital city of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and the old centre of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.
This followed a tradition started by Conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
, requiring the placement of a cross on the main routes to other parts of the country. Travellers would stop at the cross to ask for protection on their journeys, either across Peru or via ship to Central America or Spain, where the cross was made.
The old cross remains near the centre of the modern-day district of Pueblo Libre and is one of its main attractions.