One of the side benefits of the loosely regulated transportation system in Lima is that a bus can become a taxi – for 24 students and their faculty escorts. Just out of language classes, we had an appointment at El Palacio de Torre Tagle. Its name alone tells you that it is an important place and that one had best arrive on time for appointments.

Just as we were heading downtown from the seminario, we received an urgent call from our guide at Torre Tagle, a former diplomat and historian in residence, telling us to please arrive 15 minutes earlier than we had planned. What to do? Celia, our country coordinator, can by turns be both diplomatic and forceful, as the situation demands. She managed to talk the driver of the bus we were on to stop taking on new passengers, and to divert from the normal route, to get us to El Palacio a bit faster. We paid a little extra, but a lot less than we would have paid if we had taken seven taxies. (Thanks, Celia!)

A few blocks east of the Plaza de Armas, built in 1735, El Palacio de Torre Tagle is one of the best preserved homes in Lima from the Colonial era. It was built for Don José Bernardo de Tagle y Bracho, a soldier who became paymaster general for the royal naval fleet in Callao, and received the title First Marquis of Torre Tagle, courtesy of King Philip V of Spain. The house exemplifies the Baroque style and Mudejar influence. Its front has a beautiful stone doorway and two charming balconies carved in wood. The family kept the house until 1918, when it was purchased by the government.

Today the house is the headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And that’s why we were asked to arrive early: at 11:15 instead of 11:30 a.m. At noon, dignitaries from Peru and several other countries were scheduled to sign a trade agreement. During our tour of the house, we went through the Sala de los Tratados or Treaty Room where the signing was to take place, with elegant chandeliers, walls of rose-colored fabric, a large, gleaming table, and a fleet of cameras ready to record the moment.

Among the other highlights of the tour was peering out on the street from one of the two closed-in balconies, both elaborately carved and said to be the best preserved in Lima. When the balcony panels were closed, members of the Torre Tagle family could watch parades and other happenings on the street without being seen. For a few minutes we had a glimpse of what that social advantage felt like as we watched pedestrians and impatient taxis pass by below.

From the rooftop, where we were not permitted to go, family members could have seen the ocean on a clear day. And one last detail to note: we entered the house through a huge bronze-studded door, large enough to allow a horse and carriage to pass through into the courtyard (we saw the 16th-century carriage on display inside a side room; no sign of the horse).

On our way out, just as many dignitaries were on their way in, we passed through a hallway into the home next door that belonged to the Aspillaga family; this time Republican style from the 1800’s. The home now houses the Centro Cultural Inca Garcilaso de la Cancillería. Since this week happens to be La Semana del Arte Lima, we ventured into their Galería de Arte to take a peek at the work of two Dutch artists who have made their home in Peru, a sculptor named Lika Mutal and a painter named Gam Klutier.

Later in the day, we returned to Ucayali Street where we were fortunate to have an appointment to visit one more historic home off the tourist track . . . Casa Goyoneche. Also known as Casa de Rada, this mansion stands directly opposite El Palacio de Torre Tagle. Purchased in 1971 and restored by the Banco de Credito, its brochure states, “This house is considered of special interest because it is among the first buildings influenced by the early 18th-century French who gave it a genuine Lima expression,” instead of the Spanish baroque style of Andalucía.

As much as we all appreciated the opportunity to see this impressive-yet-surprisingly-cozy home, it was time to call it a day. We relaxed for awhile on the outdoor patio before visiting the second floor living area, and then students made their way up and down the stairs, posing for photos. The final shots of the day were divided according to gender. As you can see (if you’ve been following our blog this year), women far outnumber the men for the first time!