Peruvian Founders & Personalities

Peruvian Founders and Important Personalities

Peru is a country with a history and culture going back many thousand years and is characterized by its diversity with people from different social and cultural backgrounds, countries and reasons to live and stay in, fight for or come to Peru. In its long history Peru produced many important personalities that were not only significant for Peru’s cultural, social and political development, but as well in general for Latin America and the whole world.

Peruvians are very proud of their heroes. To honor and to always remember these important figures of the Peruvian past and present many 'plazas' , streets and parks are named after them and monuments build everywhere in the cities. Quite a lot museums are named after and / or dedicated to them. Religious personalities are adored in 'their' churches and worshiped in amazing processions.

Unfortunately little is know about the great men who came over 10.000 years ago to Peru, made it a habitable place to live and developed the impressive ancient cultures. The history of Peru and its famous personalities can only be exactly traced back since the 15th century, when the Spaniards arrived and recorded important matters in writing. But even in this short time of Peru’s history there are many famous Peruvians who are worth mentioning: the founders of Peru, the heroes of independence, war heroes, eminent scientist, writers, authors and artists, religious personalities, politicians and even sportsmen.

We are trying to create a comprehensive list of as much personalities of Peru as possible and introduce them to you. If there is one missing you think is worth mentioning, please let us know. We will try to find out more and include him or her in our list…

Alphabetical listing of Peruvian Founders and Personalities

To find the person you are looking for, please 'scroll' through the list or if you know the name use the alphabetical listing below:

Jorge Basadre Grohmann (∗1903 - †1980)

HISTORIAN & WRITER

Jorge Basadre Grohmann is one of the most notable Peruvian historians. The doctor of literature and law was born on the 12th of February 1903, in the southern Peruvian city of Tacna (close to the Peruvian-Chilean border), as the son of Carlos Basadre Forero and Olga Grohmann Butler. His education started in the ‘Santa Rosa’ School, a Peruvian school operating secretly in Tacna during the Chilean occupation. When his family moved to Lima in 1912, he studied in a German college and later in the National College ‘Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe’. In 1919 he entered the 'University Mayor de San Marcos’ where he graduated with his degrees of literature and law...

Abraham Valdelomar Pinto (∗1888 - †1919)

HISTORIAN & WRITER

Pedro Abraham Valdelomar Pinto was a very notable Peruvian writer who left later generations some of the most beautiful Peruvian narrations. For his time even some quite daring short stories, plays for theaters, essays and inimitable chronicles. He was born on the 16th of April 1888 in Ica as the son of Anfilóquio Valdelomar and Carolina Pinto. He spent his early childhood in Pisco and most probably that influenced his stories and poems. At the age of 5 he came to Lima, where he visited the National College ‘Nuestra Señora de Guadelupe’. Together with his school friend Manuel Bedoya, Valdelomar while still being at school, published his first magazine called ‘La Idea Guadalupana’...

José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles (∗1914 - †1941)

HERO

The aviator José Quiñones was born on the 22nd of April 1914 in the port of Pimentel, close to the city of Chiclayo, as the son of José María Quiñones Arizola and María Juana Rosa Gonzáles Orrego . His education started at the ‘San José’ school in Chiclayo and continued at the private schools in Lima (‘Sagrados Corazones Recoleta’ and ‘Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe’). Against his parents will José Quiñones joined 1935 the ‘Escuela Central de Aviación Jorge Chávez’ (Central Aviation College Jorge Chávez) and left it on the 21st of January 1939 as a second lieutenant, awarded with the ‘Ala de Oro’ (gold wing) as the best fighter pilot of his year...

Raúl Porras Barrenechea (∗1897 - †1960)

DIPLOMAT, HISTORIAN & WRITER

Raúl Porras Barrenechea was a famous Peruvian lawyer, professor, historian, writer, diplomat and politician. He was born on the 23rd of March 1897 in Pisco, as the son of Guillermo Porras Osores and Juana Barrenechea Raygada. He went to the ‘San José de Cluny’ school and the ‘La Recoleta’ college in Lima. In 1912 he enrolled at the ‘University Mayor de San Marcos, studying literature and law. In 1922 he graduated as doctor in law and 1928 in literature. Still studying Raúl Porras Barrenechea worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an assistant and later as a librarian in the ‘Archivo de Limites’ (an archive that contains most valuable chronicles, demarcation acts, plans, maps, treaties, agreements and other important documents...

Santa Rosa de Lima (∗1586 - †1617)

SAINT & CHURCH

Santa Rosa de Lima, the patroness of Lima, Peru, the Americas and the Philippines, was born on the 20th of April 1586 at the hospital ‘Espiritu Santo’ in Lima. Her parents Gaspar Flores, a Spaniard and María de Oliva, of Indian descent had thirteen children and were very poor. Santa Rosa received her baptism under the name of Isabel Flores de Oliva in the parish of ‘San Sebastian’ in Lima. Although baptized Isabel, her mother called her ‘Rosa’ since her childhood, because of her looks and the color of her cheeks. Rosa spent the longest time of her childhood in a small mining town called Quive, which was an indigent place located in the hills of Lima at the Chillón and Arahuay River. The family moved there, because the father had work in a mine...

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