Monument to Manco Cápac facts for kids
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| Coordinates | 12°03′50″S 77°01′48″W / 12.06396°S 77.03000°W |
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| Location | Plaza Manco Cápac |
| Designer | David Lozano, Benjamín Mendizábal and Daniel Casafranca |
| Type | Memorial |
| Material | Stone |
| Beginning date | August 1922 |
| Opening date | April 5, 1926 1933 |
| Dedicated to | Manco Cápac |
The Monument to Manco Cápac is a special statue in Lima, Peru. It's found in a place called Plaza Manco Cápac in the La Victoria area. This monument honors Manco Cápac, who was a very important leader. He is known as the founder of the amazing Inca civilization. A Peruvian artist named David Lozano created this statue. It was first shown to the public in 1926.
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What the Monument Looks Like
The monument shows Manco Cápac as a bronze statue. He stands tall and holds a staff, pointing to the distance with his right hand. Manco Cápac was the first Sapa Inca, which means the supreme leader of the Inca civilization.
The statue stands on a large stone base. This base looks like a stepped pyramid, similar to ancient Inca buildings. It has designs and decorations that clearly show Inca art. You can also see small sculptures of animals important to the Andean world. There are also carvings that tell stories about Manco Cápac.
The Story Behind the Monument
A Gift for Independence
In 1921, Peru celebrated 100 years of its independence. This was a big event! Many groups of people living in Peru, who came from other countries, wanted to give gifts to the Peruvian government. These gifts were often monuments.
The Japanese community in Peru, through their group called the Japanese Central Society, decided to give a statue. They wanted it to be of the mythical founder of the Inca civilization. This founder was Manco Cápac, who was believed to be a "child of the Sun" god. They chose a Peruvian artist named David Lozano to create it. Other artists, Benjamín Mendizábal and Daniel Casafranca, helped him.
Choosing the Right Spot
At first, the Japanese community thought about putting the statue in the Parque de la Exposición. But that idea was not approved. Then, they thought about Plaza Bolívar, next to the statue of Simón Bolívar. They also considered the main square of Lima. However, these ideas were also turned down.
Finally, the statue was placed in a roundabout. This was where two important streets met: Grau and Santa Teresa avenues.
Building and Opening the Monument
In August 1922, a special ceremony was held to start the work. The Peruvian President Augusto B. Leguía was there. The mayor of Lima, Pedro José Rada y Gamio, and the Japanese ambassador, Keichi Yamasaki, also attended.
The monument was officially opened on April 5, 1926. There were some delays, but it was finally ready. It took three years, nine months, and 21 days to finish. The cost was about S/.113,500, which was a lot of money back then.
In 1933, the monument was moved to its final home. This was Plaza Leguía, which was later renamed Plaza Manco Cápac.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento a Manco Cápac para niños
