Founding of Lima

Timeline

1. 1534–1535Jauja · Mantaro ValleyPizarro at first used Jauja in the Andean interior as a temporary seat, but highland supply was difficult and it was too far from the sea. He instead chose coastal lowlands in the Rímac valley, to keep sea routes to Panama and Spain and to check Cuzco.
2. 1535Ciudad de los Reyes · Rímac ValleyOn 18 January Pizarro laid out plaza, streets, and church lots under Spanish municipal law, naming it Ciudad de los Reyes in honor of the Three Kings of Epiphany. The site near the Rímac mouth was popularly called Lima, which later became the common place name.
3. 1535–1542Lima · Rímac ValleyThe new city quickly concentrated cabildo, church, and port functions, replacing Cuzco as Spain's command hub on the South American Pacific coast. After the Viceroyalty of Peru was established in 1542, Lima became its capital, coordinating Andean mining and coastal shipping.