Casa Museo Ricardo Palma

The Casa Museo Ricardo Palma is located at 189 General Suárez Street, where Mr. Ricardo Palma—our distinguished neighbor and famed tradicionista—moved to live with his children in 1913, remaining there until the end of his life.

Here, we’ll highlight some key details about his biography. His full name was Manuel Ricardo Palma Soriano, and he was born in Lima in 1833. His parents were Pedro Palma and Dominga Soriano. However, in later years, he chose to go by just Ricardo.

At the age of 19, he boarded the schooner Libertad as an accountant on the steamship Rímac. He became one of the survivors of its dramatic shipwreck near Punta San Juan in 1855. That same year, he published his first book of poetry, titled Poesías. His most famous work is Tradiciones Peruanas, although he also wrote other significant books, such as Annals of the Inquisition of Lima (1863).

Palma had a multifaceted career: he was a poet, playwright, translator, and served as a naval administrative officer for 15 years. He was also the director and restorer of the National Library of Peru, where he became known as the “Begging Librarian” for requesting book donations from his international network of friends. He became a member of the Royal Spanish Academy in 1878 and the Peruvian Academy of Language, which he presided over from its founding in 1887 until 1918.

This house is a typical example of the old Miraflores ranch-style homes, built in the early 20th century. It is characterized by having only one floor, with rooms that connect directly to each other, high ceilings, and a central patio or garden.

Inside the home, valuable personal belongings of Ricardo Palma and his family are preserved, including furniture, objects, paintings, photographs, and original documents.

The house has 12 rooms, furnished with period pieces. It was here that Ricardo Palma spent his peaceful final years, regularly receiving visits from writers, students, and admirers—from children to common townsfolk—during his daily strolls along the promenade that now bears his name.

The house was transformed into a museum in 1962, the same year it was declared a National Historic Monument. Since then, restoration efforts have focused on returning it to its original appearance. The only modification made was the expansion of the dining room by merging it with former service quarters to create a cultural events hall.