Yes, we’ve said this many times but we couldn’t be prouder of our cultural and historical heritage. Peru has been a culturally rich territory even since the pre-Columbian era, which is why it has faced so many transformative processes that have led to new ways of living.
Our society is significantly characterized by all these ancient civilizations that even though centuries have passed since they disappeared while looking back at our history we can tell that there’s a bit of each of them in the traditions and customs we carry out now in modern times.
Likewise, the arrival of the Spanish colonizers influenced the lives and cultures of our ancestors. But one thing is certain and it’s that Peruvians are resilient since we managed to adapt ourselves into a new world without forgetting where we came from and keeping our traditions alive.
There is so much to know and experience in Peru that you surely would like to jump into the subject. For that reason, here’s what we’ll be covering in this special blog:
The Peruvian culture is a total mixture of all the different societies that once lived and are currently living in our country. We’d love to show you everything about it but to also help you experience it in real life. If planning a trip to Peru, here’s what you should expect about our inspiring and extensive heritage!
The Evolution of Peruvian Culture
As we’ve mentioned before, Peru owes its cultural identity to the many processes and eras that it faced since pre-Columbian times. The societies that were established in the Peruvian territory have left a deeply rooted legacy in its people, which eventually evolved as even more civilizations rose.
As one culture dissolved, others developed, following certain doctrines left behind by the ones that precede them and improving them according to their religious, social, and political needs. One of the perfect and most prevailing examples of that definition is the Andean culture, which according to historians, developed as the Caral Civilization.
This civilization is the oldest in the Americas, disappeared around 1800 B.C. leaving a heritage that continued for hundreds of years. Nowadays, the Quechua and Aymara communities are the two main native Andean cultures of Peru, these societies have withstood the cultural erasure that was enforced in the XVI century by the Spanish crown.
However, as time went by, they ended up adapting themselves to new beliefs and traditions while still maintaining their very essence. As you may know, the Inca culture imposed the Quechua language across the Tahuantinsuyo Empire though the Aymara dialect was mainly spoken and originated in Bolivian territory.
Currently, there are over 10 million Quechua speakers and more than 440,000 Aymara speakers in Peru. Therefore, we recommend learning some Quechua words and meanings especially if traveling to the Andes. Locals will be glad to hear greetings or thanks in their native language from tourists interested in their ancestral customs.
But what about the Spanish influence?
The arrival of the Spaniards was a course-changing event in an extremely abrupt way, it clearly influenced the development of other political, religious, and social aspects. However, the Andean civilization continued to develop itself acquiring new knowledge and interpretation of life.
The Spanish conquerors established a stratified society, divided according to their social classes and differentiated by race or lineage. They also transformed the economic practices with a commercialist system, sustained by silver mining and the exploitation of the native population.
When it comes to artistic expression, the Spanish introduced new techniques and styles from Europe, which were put into practice by the Peruvian artists of that time. That led to revolutionary religious expressionism as seen in the Cathedral of the Historic Center of Cusco, where the Cusqueñan School artists fuse Andean traditions with catholic imagery.
The Spanish conquerors also imposed a new dressing style to remove their Inca traditional garments. This definitely gave a turn to how Peruvians used to express themselves, though it eventually evolved into something totally different as the country declared independence from the Spanish crown.
Nowadays, some Andean communities have maintained this traditional dress, adding a special touch to the pattern designs and colors according to their customs and beliefs. One of the most representative textiles is made on the Taquile Island of Lake Titicaca, where locals have altered the Spanish peasant dress to resemble their Andean expression.
After the colonization process, the Peruvian population developed a new sense of being, as well as a new language and the Christian conception of life. There is a constant fusion of the different cultural realities that have marked our lands, including the ones that continue coming from abroad, contributing to the development of our society as it is happening in every other country in the world.
Present Day Peru
We, as Peruvians, are aware of the drastic and important historical courses that have faced our country. Peru’s cultural identity originates in the pre-Columbian civilizations that settled the path for cosmovision, traditions, and art that later evolved with the contribution of the Spanish language, European art, literature, and catholic religion.
However, as our society continues to evolve, other cultures have paved the way to further development in our people’s artistic and culinary ways, without forgetting the different social and political aspects that came after the republican era.
And for those who didn’t know, our modern-day heritage also holds its conception in the Asian, Italian and African cultures that ended up consolidating the country’s cultural expression. These and many other factors make Peru a widely diverse territory, not only because of its foreign influences but also its three natural regions.
Nowadays, our cultural identity varies according to the coast, mountain, and jungle sectors, where each of them has distinctive traditions and customs that certainly complement our singularity as a whole.
Peru’s Artistic Expression
As we mentioned earlier, the artistic expression of Peru came long before the arrival of the Spaniards since our pre-Columbian societies already had a vast knowledge of architecture, pottery, sculpting, and textile art.
Likewise, new techniques came around as time passed by, improving the overall artistic expression in a unique and unparalleled way. If you love art as much as we do, here’s what you should know:
Architecture
As ancient civilizations began to flourish in Peru, they primarily used adobe for their buildings. Our ancestors created impressive pyramids with overlapping terraces for both religious and administrative purposes. Notable examples include the Caral Citadel and the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna in Trujillo.
Later on, cultures like the Chavín introduced carved stone in their constructions. While their structures were significant, they didn’t quite match the refinement we see in the amazing works of the Inca era. Incan architecture is truly amazing! Its beautiful symmetry and simple designs blend so well with nature.
A great example of this is the Sacsayhuamán Ceremonial Fortress. The way its impressive stone blocks fit together perfectly, without any mortar, is really fascinating! When the Spanish arrived, they brought new styles like baroque and neoclassical architecture.
They cleverly combined these styles with local materials and Incan buildings, especially in Cusco. You can really see this exciting mix of styles in the Arequipa Historic Center, where the stunning Colonial architecture stands out beautifully.
Painting
The ancient Peruvians were smart craft makers, sculptors, and artists. Different cultures managed to master painting abilities to decorate their high-relief mural carvings as well as pottery pieces and other artifacts.
One of the perfect mural painting examples is the high-relief carvings found in the Huaca de la Luna, which depicted “The Headsman” God on their temple’s walls. However, it wasn’t until the colonial era that this art craft was properly introduced into our society.
The colonial painting in Peru is one of the most outstanding artworks that developed in our country, though it was mainly destined for religious expressionism. The so-called Imperial City holds the most impressive religious paintings of this period, mostly exhibited in the catholic buildings and Cusco art museums.
Pottery Art
The pottery art found its origins in Peru during the pre-Columbian era as well, where different civilizations mastered this craft in an exemplary way. The most recognized pottery pieces come from the Chavin, Moche, and Nazca cultures.
All of them have implemented the use of color, high-relief carvings, and figures that depict animals, humans, and deities. On the other hand, the Inca culture also developed a great pottery expression, which could nearly reach sculptural forms and techniques.
Textile Art
As you may know, Peru is famous for its top-quality and astonishing traditional textiles, which was one of the most developed art techniques during ancient times. According to the Spanish chronicles, the Incas had the best garments of the entire pre-Hispanic America.
Our ancestors had extensive knitting knowledge, they used cotton fiber, camelid wool, and sometimes human and bat hair for the confection of their textile pieces. The first findings of this ancestral art were traced back to 5,000 years ago.
Some of the most impressive examples are the ones made by the Paracas culture since they perfected their embroidery technique exponentially, representing colorful natural themes, as well as mythical and symbolic figures.
As time went by and these ancestral techniques were perfected, the Incas inherited all this knowledge and made the most precious textile pieces, where geometrical figures and colorful patterns depicted historical and religious events. This tradition didn’t stop there since it is still carried out by different Andean communities, especially in the southern Andean region.
Our artistic expression goes beyond those points we’ve mentioned above, there’s so much to know about the Peruvian culture that it would be best if you experience it by yourself.
Peruvian Gastronomy
In this section, we’ll talk about everyone’s favorite subject: Food. It is no secret that Peruvian Gastronomy is one of the most praised culinary arts worldwide, and we couldn’t be more excited to show you a glimpse at what makes our typical dishes so delicious and unique.
The great variety of our food originates from the different cultures and societies that influence our culture through time. As you already know, Peru is divided into three geographical regions, where each of them owns distinguished flavors, cooking techniques, and authentic ingredients.
Likewise, the European, African, and Asian cultures influenced our culinary expression and elevated it to a whole different level with their techniques, native ingredients, and spices. As our culinary art expanded, new dishes came to the surface and delighted every visitor.
Currently, we have over 1,500 typical dishes and Lima is now considered the Gastronomic Capital of Latin America thanks to gathering the different flavors of each region of the country, fusions, and international cuisine.
Coastal Cuisine
If you’re coming to Peru then it’s most likely that Lima is going to be your first stop. And that couldn’t fit better if you have already set your mind to try the best of Peruvian gastronomy.
The food in the coastal region is like no other, where exotic ingredients compose some of the most delicious dishes in the country. As you may know, the ceviche is Peru’s flag dish, a delicacy made with fish, lemon juice, chili, and other spices that will delight your palate by just looking at it.
Likewise, the coastal cuisine varies according to each region, meaning that the northern coast and southern coast have different ways of seasoning and they adapt their meals to the resources available nearby.
For example, in Arequipa’s department, the Chupe de Camarones is one of the most distinguished dishes on the southern coast, while Ceviche and Choritos a la Chalaca are certainly characteristics of the north.
Andean Cuisine
The Andes are the birthplace of many cultures that definitely have marked our country, and with them, new agricultural advances have been developed. For that reason, there are so many different types of tubers and other vegetables that have been incorporated into the Andean diet.
Most of the region’s dishes are prepared with corn, potato, rice, bread, or pasta, combining those ingredients with cattle, pigs, and sheep meat, as well as alpaca tenderloin and cuy (guinea pig). The Andean cuisine flavors are very similar to the ones from the coast since they also have integrated freshwater fish into coastal recipes like ceviche.
If you’re planning a trip to Peru, you’ll surely visit Machu Picchu but for that, you will need to head to the Imperial City first, so if you want to experience the best of the Andean gastronomy here you’ll find the perfect places to eat in Cusco.
Amazon Cuisine
For those up to immerse themselves in the lush Peruvian Amazon basin, you should know that the food variety here is as wide as you can imagine. Locals have added some interesting ingredients to their local dishes, like wild pig, suri, tapir, rodents, turtles, choro, and maquisapa monkeys.
They have created a distinctive gastronomical style, where they incorporate plantain, fruits, fish, and veggies in such a harmonious combination that you certainly won’t like to miss. If heading to the jungle, here’s what you should try: Inchicapi, patarashca, chonta salad, timbuche, paiche ceviche, charapita chilli sauce, and Cocona chili.
Peru is undoubtedly one of the most diverse countries in South America and we wish you could be part of this great experience with us! If our country is on your bucket list then make sure to contact us so we can plan the perfect itinerary for you.
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