ITALIAN ART MUSEUM

In the year of 1921, during the Centennial of the Independence Jubilee, the Italian colony donated the City with the Italian Art Museum. The endeavour was forwarded by Don Gino Solocci, the design and construction of the edifice was committed to the architect from Milan Gaetano Moretti, and the task of selecting the works of art fell into the hands of the art critic Mario Vannini Parenti. The official deliver of the Museum to the Peruvian Nation took place on November 11th, 1923.

The building itself synthesises the Italian art of the past. There are architectural elements from Bramante, and relieves and details inspired by the art of Donatello, Ghiberti, Michelangelo and Botticelli.

The façade is covered in white carved marble, and displays the coats of arms from the principal Italian cities. There are also two huge mosaics depicting the foremost characters of the history of Italy.

For the task of filling this Museum, more than two hundred pieces of art including sculptures, paintings, engravings, drawings and ceramics of at least a hundred Italian artists. This permanent exhibit has been distributed in six halls.

In the year of 1972 the administration of the Museum was forwarded to the Instituto Nacional de Cultura. Nevertheless, the support from the Italian Embassy and the Asociación de Amigos del Museo de Arte Italiano has not been withdrawn.

Location: 250 Avenida Paseo de la República Avenue, Lima
Phone: (511) 423-9932.
Schedule of visits: Mondays to Fridays - 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

MUSEUM OF THE PERUVIAN CULTURE.

This Museum was founded in 1946 in order to show the historical development of the cultural process that took place in Peru, starting from the prehistoric times; it comprised all the cultures that henceforth existed until the present times. It was formerly constituted by two major institutions: the Instituto de Arte Peruano - Institute of Peruvian Art and the Instituto de Estudios Etnológicos - The Institute of Ethnological Studies.

The command of the first one befell into the hands of the artist José Sabogal, who also gave birth to the "Grupo Indigenista- Indigenous School of Painting", along with his disciples Julia Codesido, Angela y Teresa Carvallo, Alicia Bustamante, Enrique Camino Brent and Camilo Blas.

The latter institution, under the lead of the renowned historian Luis E. Valcárcel, engaged into scientifically studying and unveiling the historical legacy and the multi-cultural development concerning the actual reality of Peru.

Presently, the primary goals are the preservation, protection, research and promotion of the popular arts and of all traditional manifestations. The Institute owns the most important public collection of ethnographic and popular art objects that date back to Colonial times.
Furthermore, there are some Pre-Hispanic objects that are fundamental to trace its cultural and artistic development along the history.

As an example, we can mention a most complete collection of mates burilados (dried pumpkins, carved and stained) whose origins range from the pre-Colonial times to the present days. At the same time, there is an exhibition of paintings by the indigenists detailing in big dimensions some examples of the decoration presented by these mates burilados and by other objects too.

There is a hall that contains an exhibit of pottery from the many regions of Peru, among which we can mention the famous "Toritos de Pucará" little bulls, conopas, amarus, iglesias de techo or roof churches, clay musicians and a number of ritualistic and daily vessels.

Another room offers to the eyes of the visitor the Andean concept of Christian images. This collection includes magical-religious sanmarcos, altarpieces, crosses "of the passion", along with crosses "zafa-casa" and "of the road". All of which synthesise the blending of the Catholic devotion with ancestral Pre-Hispanic rites and the charm of folk beliefs. Many of these craftsmen are nowadays regarded as artists as well as big artisan masters.

Among other genders are also worth mentioning the beautiful allegories carved onto the Piedra de Huamanga stone, the illas de berenguela and the notable silverwork done by the popular smiths. There is also a magnificent assortment of ethnographical textiles and a number of objects that belong to the different Amazon ethnicities.

Location: 650 Avenida Alfonso Ugarte Avenue, Cercado de Lima.
Phone: (511) 423-5892.
Schedule of visits: Tuesday - Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

MUSEUM OF THE HOSPITAL SANTO TORIBIO DE MOGROVEJO.

This can be called a "brainoteque" or a Brain Museum, for it approximately contains a number of three thousand autopsied brains. Its activities started over the year of 1947 - when the first autopsy was realised- with the purpose of selecting and storing the most particular and important brains, to contribute in the study of neurological diseases. As a curious fact, we will state that its official inauguration happened just on August 29th, 1997.

The Museum is sited in the hind part of the Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas. This happens to be at the banks of the Rímac River, which makes the access a little difficult and also allows to a stealthy deterioration due to the humidity and other adverse climate conditions.

Aside from these obstacles, it is an important destiny to some professionals and scientists, due to the fact that it stands as the only one of its kind in Latin America.

Location: 1271 Jirón Ancash Street - Barrios Altos.
Phone: (511) 328-1473.