Ica

Ica occupies a fertile river valley amid the deserts of Peru's southern coast. Long before the Spanish town, local communities managed water and desert farmland, combining agriculture with fishing and skilled craft production. The valley entered the Inca realm during the fifteenth century, when settlements helped organize agricultural tribute. In 1563 the Spanish founded Villa de Valverde under Geronimo Luis de Cabrera. Earthquakes repeatedly reshaped the new town: destruction in 1577 prompted a move, and further disasters in the seventeenth century damaged churches and houses. The earthquake of 1687 brought another rearrangement around the main square. Vine cultivation became an important colonial activity, encouraged by the crop's ability to withstand dry conditions. The valley's agricultural wealth sustained both the town and its religious institutions. Independence brought another change in administration. Following San Martin's landing at nearby Paracas in 1820, Ica's council proclaimed independence; in 1825 it became a coastal province separate from Lima.