Iconic historical residence of Arequipa, captivates with its imposing colonial architecture and cultural charm.
In 1558 Don Martin Almanzán acquired the site to build his house. This house suffered modifications due to the reconstructions needed after each destruction caused by earthquakes and earthquakes. The house was acquired by Don Juan Crisóstomo Goyeneche in the eighteenth century and one of his four sons was who commanded to embellish the house becoming in the following years in the most beautiful residence of Arequipa. Already in the middle of the XX century the house stopped being property of the Goyeneche family what caused the dispersion of the collection of art and books.
The Central Reserve Bank of Peru acquired the building to convert it into the headquarters of its branch in Arequipa, which was inaugurated on December 19, 1970.
The white volcanic stone construction is superb. The main façade faces La Merced street; the wide windows of the lower floor have beautiful wrought iron grills; the symmetrically arranged columns combine with the stone baseboards and sidewalks; on the second floor the coat of arms of the Goyeneche family can be seen; the façade gives the impression of a military fortress, archiepiscopal palace and ancestral home; passing its beautiful portico is the entrance hall covered with a barrel vault and then a patio with a carved stone basin. It is remarkable the natural lighting that highlights the beauty of the building: the courtyard, the pool, the walls, the windows and the internal cylindrical tower.
The Casa has 37 colonial paintings, many of which have been restored.
It also has ten sculptures, of which two of the seventeenth century, of the Andalusian school and anonymous author: The Sorrowful Virgin and the Ecce Homo. These two carved wooden sculptures, polychrome and with glass eyes, were acquired in a very bad state of conservation, quite damaged in their structure by termites and with damage to the polychrome, so the Bank decided to proceed with their restoration.
It also has furniture, mortars, chandeliers and other items that decorate the offices of the Arequipa Regional Headquarters, which can be visited by the public.
Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., no holiday
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