Desamparados station

The Estación de Desamparados is a historic railway station in Lima ( Peru). It is located very close to the Palacio de Gobierno del Perú ( Government Palace ) in the Centro Histórico ( Historic Downtown) from Lima.

History and Architecture

The station was named after the name of the former Jesuit convent of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados. The project's construction began in 1890 and was financed by the Peruvian society Corporación Peruana de Londres. Three years later, the inauguration of the railway line Lima -La Oroya was held. The line became known as the Ferrocarril Central Andino.

The three-storey building of the station was the first public work of the Peruvian architect Rafael Marquina Beaux -Arts architecture. He used in this construction already modern materials and techniques, such as reinforced concrete and expanded metal. The main facade is symmetrical and consists of five vertical bodies divided by four pilasters of classic design. A special feature is the stained glass of the interior dome lights in the Art Nouveau style.

Today the station is mainly used as an exhibition hall and, since 2003, twice a month from April to November, when the old section is traversed by a tourist, as a stop for photographs. At the Station " Desamparados " There is a museum that displays ethnic exhibits, and the Casa de la Literatura Peruana.