▁link ▁between ▁private ▁homes ▁and ▁L ime ño ▁streets . ▁Antonio ▁de ▁la ▁Cal an cha ▁and ▁Juan ▁Mel énd ez ▁first ▁co ined ▁the ▁term , ▁writing , ▁" They ▁are ▁so ▁many ▁and ▁too ▁large ▁that ▁they ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁streets ▁on ▁the ▁air ." ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁bal con ies ▁were ▁originally ▁built ▁to ▁shield ▁women ▁of ▁nob ility ▁from ▁vo ye ur istic ▁gaz es , ▁they ▁were ▁also ▁sites ▁of ▁g oss ip ▁and ▁am orous ▁enc oun ters . ▁The ▁bal con ies ▁gave ▁the ▁women ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁city ▁but ▁remain ▁hidden ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁ ▁Histor ian ▁Charles ▁Walker ▁has ▁interpreted ▁the ▁bal con ies ▁as ▁a ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁social ▁power ▁dynamics , ▁as ▁they ▁illustrate ▁the ▁distinction ▁between ▁individuals ▁of ▁different ▁classes . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁churches ▁and ▁houses ▁with ▁grand io se ▁bal con ies ▁were ▁indic ative ▁of ▁aff lu ent ▁own ers , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁bal con ies ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁similar ▁styles ▁and ▁materials . ▁ ▁Rest oration ▁efforts ▁ ▁Imp act ▁of ▁earth qu akes ▁ ▁The ▁earth qu akes ▁of ▁ 1 6 5 5 , ▁ 1 6 8 7 , ▁ 1 7 4 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁destroyed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁colonial ▁structures ▁in ▁Lima ▁designed ▁by ▁Francisco ▁P izar ro ▁and ▁transformed ▁the ▁city ' s ▁politics ▁and ▁architecture . ▁St ur dy ▁and ▁less ▁elaborate ▁styles ▁became ▁increasing