Trujillo: History

Pre-20th-Century History

One of first peoples to inhabit Northern Peru was the Huaca Prieta, who lived at the site of the same name from around 3500 BC to 2300 BC. These hunters and gatherers grew cotton and varieties of beans and peppers, and subsisted mainly on seafood. They were a Stone Age people who developed netting and weaving.

Based around Huaraz, south of Trujillo, the Chavín also had a significant cultural and artistic influence on the Peruvian coast, particularly between 800 and 400 BC.

Evolving from around 200 BC to AD 850, the Moche peoples created ceramics, textiles and metalwork, developed the architectural skills to construct massive pyramids and still had enough time for art and a highly organized religion. But it's Moche ceramics that earn them a ranking in Peru's pre-Inca civilization hall of fame. Considered the most artistically sensitive and technically developed of any ceramics found in Peru, Moche pots are realistically decorated with figures and scenes of everyday life. Some facets of Moche life illustrated on pots include punishments, surgical procedures (such as amputation) and copulation. Just south of Trujillo, there are two main Moche sites: Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna.

The Moche period declined around AD 700. The Wari culture began to expand after this time, and its influence was reflected in both the Sicán and Chimu cultures. The Sicán, probably descendants of the Moche, flourished from about AD 750 to AD 1375. Avid agriculturalists, they were infatuated with metallurgy and all that glittered. These great smiths produced alloys of gold, silver and arsenic copper in vast quantities. They were actively engaged in long-distance trade with peoples along the length and breadth of the continent. Unfortunately, the weather was the ultimate undoing of the Sicán. Originally building their main city at Batán Grande, northeast of Trujillo, they were forced to move to Túcume when El Niño rains devastated that area in the 13th century.

The Chimu were contemporaries of the Sicán, lasting from about AD 850 to 1470. They were responsible for the huge capital at Chan Chan, just north of Trujillo. The artwork of the Chimu was more about functional mass production than artistic achievement. The Chimu were an urban society: their huge capital contained about 10,000 dwellings.

The Chimu were conquered by the Incas in 1471. By 1528, Francisco Pizarro had discovered the rich coastal settlements of the Incan empire. In 1534, Trujillo was founded by Diego de Almagro as 'Villa Trujillo' after Trujillo in Spain, Pizarro's birthplace. In November 1537, King Charles I designated Trujillo a city, giving it a coat of arms which claimed it to be the 'Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera' (City of Eternal Spring). Its wealth was such that a wall was constructed around the city in 1685, to stop piratical raids. In 1820, Trujillo was the first Peruvian city to declare independence from Spain.

Modern History

During the 20th century, Trujillo was a hub of rebellion. Bohemians flocked, poets put pen to paper (including Peru's best poet, César Vallejo), and rebels raised their fists defiantly in the air.

It was here the Alianza Popular Revolution Americana (APRA) workers' party was formed. Their leader, Haya de la Torre, ran for president in 1931. However, the dictator, Sanchez Cerro, counted the votes and declared himself the victor. APRA was subsequently outlawed and Haya de la Torre was imprisoned, provoking an uprising of Trujillo's middle classes in 1932. The result was a massacre - over one thousand people were taken out to the fields of Chan Chan and killed.

In 1969, the Revolutionary Military government freed the region from the dominance of the sugar barons. Their land was given to worker cooperatives such as the Casa Grande.

Recent History

Asparagus is big business in modern Trujillo, being exported to neighboring countries, Europe and the US. Consequently, Peru is the world's leading exporter of the long green vegetable, followed by China.

Due to Trujillo's close proximity to sites where the Moche and Chimu civilizations evolved, tourism is also a major industry. Coupled with its historical colonial city center, the city aspires to be a World Heritage Site.

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