Arequipa

Arequipa (Spanish pronunciation: [aɾeˈkipa]; and Quechua: Ariqipa), also known by its nicknames of Ciudad Blanca (Spanish for "White City") and León del Sur (Spanish for "Lion of the South"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous province and department. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city in Peru, after the capital Lima, with an urban population of 1,195,700 in 2025. Known for its colonial architecture and volcanic stone buildings, it is a major cultural and economic center.

Arequipa is also an important industrial and commercial center in Peru, and is considered the second biggest industrial city of the country. Among its industrial activities are the manufactured products and the textile production of wool of camelids. Its metropolitan area includes twenty-one districts, including the foundational central area, which is the seat of the city government. The city had a nominal GDP of US$9,445 million, equivalent to US$10,277 per capita (US$18,610 per capita PPP) in 2015, making Arequipa the city with the second-highest economic activity in Peru. The city maintains close commercial links with Chile, Bolivia, and Brazil and with the cities connected by the South trainway, as well as with the port of Matarani.

The city was founded on 15 August 1540, under the name of "Beautiful Villa of Our Lady of the Assumption" in the name of Marquis Francisco Pizarro. On 22 September 1541, the king, Carlos V, ordered that it should be called the "City of Arequipa". During the viceregal period, it acquired importance for its outstanding economic role, and is characterized by the fidelity to the Spanish Crown known as fidelismo, which in return honored Arequipa with titles such as "Very Noble and Very Loyal". In the Republican history of Peru, the city has been the focus of popular, civic, and democratic rebellions. It has also been the cradle of notable intellectual, political, and religious figures. In the Republican era, it was awarded the title of "Heroic city of the free people of Arequipa".

Its historical center extends over an area of 332 hectares and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its historical heritage and monuments that it houses and its diverse scenic and cultural spaces have made it a host city for national and international tourism. Its historical center highlights the religious architecture, viceregal and republican product of the mixture of Spanish and autochthonous characteristics, which constitute a style known as "Arequipeña School", whose influence arrived in Potosí (Bolivia).