The city of Arequipa in Peru is a combination of European and native designs. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is 820 acres in area. It is located at the foothills of the Misti Volcano, at a height of 2300 metres above sea level. The inactive cone of the Misti Volcano is 5821 metres high.
Though there are European influences, Arequipa has strong indigenous elements. The city faces frequent earthquakes, mainly because it rests in the valley of three snow-covered volcanoes. Earthquakes in 1600, 1868, 1958, 1979 and 2001 caused significant damage to the city.
The sturdy walls, archways, porticos, vaults, courtyards, open spaces and the baroque decorations are examples of the different influences on Arequipa. The city had been a major point on the Cuzco-seacoast route during the Inca Empire.
Arequipa had been home to one group of people or the other for thousands of years. In 1540 the city was founded again under the name Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion del Valle Hermoso. This was done on the orders of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro to establish a stronghold in the region.
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