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Casa Museo Mario Vargas Llosa

Casa Museo Mario Vargas Llosa

Arequipa is one of those cities where the cultural expression overflows its streets since it holds the most distinctive colonial scenery in the country while being flanked by three imposing volcanoes. Likewise, the so-called White City holds a great variety of museums, including an entire house dedicated to one of the most important writers in our times, Mario Vargas Llosa.

Mario Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian writer and politician born in Arequipa, he is the first Peruvian to win the Nobel Prize of Literature, thanks to his many novels, newspaper articles, essays and theater plays. For that reason, the municipality of Arequipa made a museum out of his childhood house.

The museum has 16 exhibition rooms, where they portray Mario Vargas Llosa’s life and work, from his birth to the moment he earned the Nobel prize. It also holds a library with 24,000 works of the renowned writer.

The museum it’s certainly worth a visit since Mario Vargas Llosa himself guides you through his life by holograms and videos where he talks about his life and work. If you’re following the steps of this famous Peruvian character, then you should visit this museum. Learn everything about it while you’re here!

About the Museum

The Casa Museum was founded in April 2014, along with the famous writer Mario Vargas Llosa. As we mentioned before, the museum was born to honor Mario Vargas Llosa since he is the first Peruvian to win a Nobel prize.

The museum has an extensive gallery where they show the early days of the writer, his studies and life work. It has 16 rooms, where they chronologically organized a walk-through history style, starting with the birth of Mario Vargas Llosa.

Each exhibition narrates a part of Mario's life with holograms and 3D videos and movies of this renowned character. Likewise, the entire site is adorned with special furniture and works donated by Mario Vargas Llosa.

The tour around the museum takes about two hours and starts with a hologram of Mario Vargas Llosa welcoming the visitors and inviting them to experience a day in his life. 

Later, the guests continue to the second room where they recreated the novelist’s birth, following his studies in the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, trips to Europe, family life, his short career in politics and even more.

Mario Vargas Llosa lived in this house during his first two years of life. The house was declared a National Cultural Heritage and was later conditioned as a museum by the Regional Government of Arequipa. 

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How to Visit the Museum?

The Casa Museo Mario Vargas Llosa is located in Arequipa’s Historical City Center, a few blocks away from Plaza de Armas. The site remains as a free tourist attraction and attracts thousands of visitors per year.

We highly recommend visiting the monastery on a guided tour so you don’t miss any important details of this colonial gem. If you wish to know the old town of Arequipa at its fullest, we have the perfect tour for you!

Our Arequipa City Tour takes you through the most visually striking colonial scenery of Peru, while visiting the most sought after attractions on the way. Include this excursion in your travel itinerary and start exploring the city like a local expert! Contact our travel specialists for more information.

Arequipa is a region full of natural wonders, history and culture, which is why we'd love to show you everything about it. If you would like to know more about the famous White City, here you have a blog about the top things to do in Arequipa.

Would you like to know more about Peru? Here you’ll find all the information you need for your trip. Our local expert team has prepared the most complete informative guides for you! Also, if you’re eager to know Peru at its fullest, check our travel packages and live an authentic experience with Viagens Machu Picchu