Trujillo, Peru

Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru. The city is located at the banks of the Moche River, near its mouth at the Pacific Ocean, in a valley of great cultural hegemony.While it may be conceived as a single city, Trujillo is not a single administrative unit; rather, it is the core or center of a major metropolitan area that covers an area of 110,000 ha, and consists of 9 municipalities in the province, of which 5 are completely metropolitan area, while the remaining 4 are partially. The metropolitan area has a population of more than 804,000 inhabitants, the third most populous of Peru.Founding dates for the city differ. One account credits the Spanish conquistador Diego de Almagro with founding it on December 6, 1534 and calling it Nova Castile Trujillo. The area had been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. Its founding is also attributed to the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro on March 5, 1535, the date when it was established within the Viceroyalty of Peru.For its role in the fight for independence, Trujillo was honored with the title "Meritorious City and Faithful to the Fatherland", The birthplace of Peru's judiciary, and it was twice designated as the capital of the country. It was the scene of the Revolution of Trujillo in 1932.Trujillo is known as the "City of Eternal Spring", "National Marinera Capital" and "Culture Capital of Peru". It has sponsored numerous national and international cultural events, and has a lively arts community. Current festivals include the "National Marinera Contest", the "International Festival of Spring" and the "International Book Fair", which is one of the most important cultural events in the country.Trujillo is close to two major archaeological sites of pre-Columbian monuments: Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the ancient world, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986; and the temples of the Sun (the largest adobe pyramid in Peru) and Moon.The city centre contains many examples of colonial and religious architecture incorporating distinctive wrought ironwork. It includes residential areas, a central business district and industrial supply distribution to the various districts. Also, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trujillo has its seat here.