Paramonga
Encyclopedia
Paramonga was an important city constructed at the border of the former Kingdom of Chimor in Peru
during the late Intermediate Period (1200 to 1400) whose capital was the metropolis of Chan Chan
.
Paramonga is located on the Fortaleza river, close to the town of Pativilca
to the north of Lima
. It is said that it was an important religious settlement, similar to Pachacamac
. It is named after the nearby modern town of Paramonga, as its original name is unknown. Paramonga is often called a fortress due to its staggered pyramid of four levels of enormous proportions constructed on a hill, which resembles somewhat a European medieval castle
.
The oldest written records of the site are the ones from colonial times by chroniclers, Spanish soldiers, priests and other literate men who accompanied Hernando Pizarro on the conquest of the Tawantinsuyu.
An important man was Miguel de Miguel de Estete, who was called the "chronicler soldier." Accompanying Pizarro he travelled by the Able Ñan (dirt road) along the coast to Cajamarca to receive the gold for the rescue of the Atahualpa Inca in 1532. Estete wrote in his story, "(...) and another day we went to sleep in a great town that is called Parmunga, which is next to the sea, has a Strong House, with five blind fences, painted of elaborately on the inside and outside with its walls carved, the way it is done in Spain, with two tigers (pumas?) at the main entrance (...)."
Another chronicler, Cieza of Leon, passed Paramonga during his trip from the City of the Kings (Lima) to Trujillo in 1541. He described it as of
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
during the late Intermediate Period (1200 to 1400) whose capital was the metropolis of Chan Chan
Chan Chan
The largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, Chan Chan is an archaeological site located in the Peruvian region of La Libertad, five km west of Trujillo. Chan Chan covers an area of approximately 20 km² and had a dense urban center of about 6km²...
.
Paramonga is located on the Fortaleza river, close to the town of Pativilca
Pativilca
Pativilca is a town in central Peru, capital of the district Pativilca in the province Barranca in the region Lima.-External links:...
to the north of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. It is said that it was an important religious settlement, similar to Pachacamac
Pachacamac
The temple of Pachacamac is an archaeological site 40 km southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley of the Lurín River. Most of the common buildings and temples were built c...
. It is named after the nearby modern town of Paramonga, as its original name is unknown. Paramonga is often called a fortress due to its staggered pyramid of four levels of enormous proportions constructed on a hill, which resembles somewhat a European medieval castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
.
The oldest written records of the site are the ones from colonial times by chroniclers, Spanish soldiers, priests and other literate men who accompanied Hernando Pizarro on the conquest of the Tawantinsuyu.
An important man was Miguel de Miguel de Estete, who was called the "chronicler soldier." Accompanying Pizarro he travelled by the Able Ñan (dirt road) along the coast to Cajamarca to receive the gold for the rescue of the Atahualpa Inca in 1532. Estete wrote in his story, "(...) and another day we went to sleep in a great town that is called Parmunga, which is next to the sea, has a Strong House, with five blind fences, painted of elaborately on the inside and outside with its walls carved, the way it is done in Spain, with two tigers (pumas?) at the main entrance (...)."
Another chronicler, Cieza of Leon, passed Paramonga during his trip from the City of the Kings (Lima) to Trujillo in 1541. He described it as of
- "(...) beautiful rooms and quarters, with walls painted with many ferocious animals and birds; everything is surrounded by very strong walls and built well. The citadel is already almost in ruins (...)." Note: This text is a loose translation from www.naya.org.ar/Peru/paramong.htm