The Basilica Metropolitan Cathedral of Lima and Primate of Peru, otherwise Lima Metropolitan Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Plaza Mayor of downtown Lima, Peru. This third and current Cathedral of Lima was built between 1602 and 1797. It is dedicated to St John, Apostle and Evangelist. Location in the city The Basilica Cathedral of Lima occupies the east side of the Plaza Mayor of Lima, on Calle Gradas de la Catedral, block 2 of the current Jirón Augusto Wiese (former Jirón Carabaya). History The Cathedral of Lima was built on the site of the Inca shrine of the Puma Inti and the palace of the Cuscoan prince Sinchi Puma, a direct descendant of the Inca Sinchi Roca. When Francisco Pizarro founded Lima, he assigned a plot of land to the church, making Sinchi Puma renounce his assets on paper certified by a notary, so that the occupation of the site chosen for the church would not mean usurpation of ownership. In 1535 Pizarro laid the first stone and carried, in a public demonstration of faith and humility, the first wood for the construction of the church (first cathedral), which was built under the patronage of Our Lady of the Assumption, finishing the construction in 1538 and inaugurated on March 11, 1540, placing the Blessed Sacrament for the first time that day. After the disputes between Diego de Almagro and Pizarro, and after having established the Viceroyalty of Peru, Pope Paul III, taking into account the growth of the city of Lima, issued a bull on May 14, 1541 creating the Diocese of Lima and raising the small church to the category of cathedral which began to be built in 1542 during the government of Cristóbal Vaca de Castro. Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui, daughter of the founder of Lima, contributed the considerable sum of five thousand golden pesos for the construction of the new cathedral, which came to cost fifteen thousand golden pesos, thanking the King of Spain through a real cédula of 19 March 1552. On October 8, 1549, the Cabildo de Lima discussed that it would be convenient for the cathedral to have a clock and decreed that one be purchased that had been brought from Spain at the time. With the changes introduced by the peacemaker Pedro de la Gasca to give it greater distinction, the new church (second cathedral) begun by Cristóbal Vaca de