Italian Peruvians (; ) are

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

vian-born citizens who are fully or partially of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

descent, whose ancestors were

Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...

who emigrated to Peru during the

Italian diaspora The Italian diaspora (, ) is the large-scale emigration of Italians from Italy. There were two major Italian diasporas in Italian history. The first diaspora began around 1880, two decades after the Risorgimento, Unification of Italy, and ended ...

, or Italian-born people in Peru. Among European Peruvians, Italians were the second largest group of immigrants to settle in the country. Italian immigration in Peru began in the colonial era, during the Spanish

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru (), officially known as the Kingdom of Peru (), was a Monarchy of Spain, Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in ...

. However, the peak of Italian immigrants occurred after Peruvian independence, between 1840 and 1880, with the

guano Guano (Spanish from ) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertiliser due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a le ...

export boom. In the following years, from 1914 to 1950, waves of Italian immigration followed due to the two

world war A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...

s, which destroyed most of the Italian cities, while other Italians arrived from

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, mainly merchants, peasants and technicians, who then formed families in Peru, where they settled permanently.

History

Spanish colonial era

The Italian community is characterized by having started since the times of the Spanish colony in Peru. Concentrated in and around

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, these first Italians (a few hundred only) mostly came from the

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

area. Many of them achieved first-level political-economic positions in colonial and postcolonial Peruvian society. The presence of

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

ns in Peru since the 16th century can be explained by the bond that the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

had with Spain. They settled in Peru mostly to engage in trade and navigation. Between 1532 and 1560, 50 Italians established in Lima (Viceroyalty of Peru) and

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists ...

, mostly from

and

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, such as Martin from

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, Pietro Catagno, Pietro Martín from

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

(all of them involved in Atahualpa's capture),

Juan Bautista Pastene 200px, Map showing the September 1544 expedition led by Pastene. Giovanni Battista Pastene (1507–1580) was a Genoese maritime explorer who, while in the service of the Spanish crown, explored the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru ...

, born in

in 1505 and also present since the beginning of the

Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, also known as the Conquest of Peru, was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. After years of preliminary exploration and military skirmishes, 168 Spaniards, ...

Research done by historian Alberto Boscolo in his work ''Presencia italiana en Andalucía: Siglos XIV-XVII'', revealed that during the time of Pizarro these Italians were present in Peru: Jeronimo Bacarel (Sicily), merchant cattleman; Francisco de Bolonia (Bologna); Nicolao del Benino (Florence), merchant; Francisco Rosso (Naples),conquistador; Sebastiano Castro (Sicily); Pedro Catano (Italy), merchant; Juan Antonio Corso (Corsica), merchant; Bartolome Ferrer (Genoa), mariner merchant; Martin de Florencia (Italy), conquistador; Antonio Genoves (Genoa); Catalina la Genovesa (Valdepenaa); Esteban Genoves (Genoa), conquistador; Jacomo Genoves (Genoa); Rostran Genoves (Genoa), carpenter; Simon Genoves (Genoa), conquistador; Isabella Gentil (Seville); Cesare Maneo (Naples); Pedro Milanes (Milan), conquistador; Marco Negro (Venice); Francisco Neri (Florence), merchant; Juan de Niza (Nizza aka Nice), conquistador; Jacome Pablo (Venice); Pedro Pinelo (Italy), merchant; Diego de Pisa (Pisa), conquistador; Antonio del Solar (Median del Campo); Alonso Toscano (Tuscany), merchant; Juan Toscano (Tuscany), religious; Pedro Toscano (Tuscany), merchant; Fray Francisco Martinez (Tuscany), religious.Boscolo, Alberto. "Presencia italiana en Andalucía: Siglos XIV-XVII" Sevilla : Escuela de Estudios Hispano-Americanos, 1989. Italians who participated in the Rebellion of

Gonzalo Pizarro Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso (; 1510 – 10 April 1548) was a Spanish conquistador. He was the younger paternal half brother of Francisco Pizarro, who led the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Pizarro was the illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro y ...

were Juan Bautista (Genoa, mariner), Francisco Bonifacio (Savoy) and Baptista Calvo (Genoa). Other Italians were Urbano Centurione (Genoa), merchant; Estebano Cintana (Italy), mariner; Antonio de Ecogua (Genoa), mariner; Lorenzo Fabiano (Italy); Tomas Farco (Italy); Nicolas Feo (Savoy); Bernardo Genoves (Genoa); Leon Pancaldo (Savoy), mariner; Bartolome Rabano (Italy), boatswain; Francisco Ragano (Italy); Tommaso Risso (Florence), nobleman; Juan Bautista Troche (Ventimiglia); Juan Pedro de Vivaldo (Genoa), sailing master. 1880bolognesi

During the last decades of Spanish dominion in Peru, the number of Italians in Peru grew faster than in previous centuries (most of them came from Genoa). The richest ones were related to the marine commerce while the rest of Italians worked at small family-run business (such as grocery stores) or in larger enterprises along with their fellow Italians, as they were relatively skilled. The pioneers of the Italian immigration to Peru were Antonio Dagnino, who established in Callao in 1802 and Felix Valega, who arrived, in 1806. The best known Italian Peruvian in this historical period was General

Francisco Bolognesi Francisco Bolognesi Cervantes (4 November 1816 – 7 June 1880) was a Peruvian military colonel. He is considered a national hero in Peru and was declared patron of the Army of Peru by the government of Peru on 2 January 1951. Early life and ...

, son of an Italian who emigrated to Lima in the early 19th century, who distinguished himself in the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

becoming a national hero of Peru. One of the main squares of the Peruvian capital is named after him.

After independence

After the independence of the Spanish colonies, which was caused by the crisis in Spain, the immigration of Italians to Peru increased considerably. Initially

n sailors emigrated to Peru, who founded numerous commercial activities along the coasts of the country. Again from Liguria, many peasants fleeing poverty began to emigrate to Peru. The latter, having arrived in Peru, dedicated themselves to the cultivation of the land and to small trade. This migration of Italians began to be consistent starting from 1840 thanks to the conspicuous economic growth of Peru, which was caused by the export of

. Only after the

unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century Political movement, political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, annexation of List of historic states of ...

in 1861 was there mass emigration, especially from the impoverished countryside of

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

and broader Italy. The first wave of Italian immigration to an independent Peru occurred during the period 1840–1866 (the "Guano" Era): not less than 15,000 Italians arrived to Peru during this period (without counting the non-registered Italians) and established mainly in the coastal cities, especially, in

and

. They came, mostly, from the northern regions (

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

and

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

arrived to Peru in 1851, as well as other Italians who participated in the Milan rebellion like Giuseppe Eboli, Steban Siccoli,

Antonio Raimondi Antonio Raimondi (September 19, 1826 – October 26, 1890) was an Italian-born Peruvian geographer and scientist. Born in Milan, Raimondi emigrated to Peru in 1850, arriving at the port of Callao on July 28. In 1851 he became a professor of ...

and Arrigoni. Subsequently, there was a decline in them, as a result of the war between Chile and Peru. The great wave of Italian migration to Peru ended around 1880, after which Italians began to arrive in Peru in much smaller numbers. From 1880, there was in fact a drastic drop in the export of

, a situation which continued also in the following decades without ever reaching the previous levels. In addition to mercantile activities, the Italians later also dealt with the cultivation of

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

s for the production of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

. In 1905, 83% of wine production was attributable to

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

founded and managed by Italians. In this context, some varieties of grapes imported from Italy were introduced in Peru. Other Italians devoted themselves to the cultivation of

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

. The Italian immigrants in Peru were mostly merchants, who were joined by a small group of wealthy entrepreneurs. An Italian consul who traveled to various countries in South America said: "Italians are rich, very industrious and perhaps they are more active than in any other country in America." Again from a commercial point of view, in a document dated in 1863, it is reported that of the 650 pulperías in Lima, about 500 were owned by Italians. Furthermore, still in the 19th century, the Italians were the Peruvian ethnic group that mostly dealt with the cultivation of

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

s, so much so that almost all the fields cultivated with vegetables in the surroundings of Lima and Callao were cultivated by Italians. However, the wealthiest Italian immigrants were those who devoted themselves to maritime trade, especially guano. Some of them did amass huge wealth. In 1872, the ''Sociedad de Inmigración Europea'' ("European Immigration Society") was founded in Peru. Its objective was promoting

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

by covering the costs of their journeys and financially supporting them during their first settler years in Peru. Furthermore, many Italians came in search for a better future, upon the arrival they established themselves in small business. One such family was the Genoese Marsano family. One of its members, Tomás Marsano Gutiérrez, built a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

in 1941 which was demolished in 2002. Balconies

After the collapse of guano exports, Peru's economy veered towards new sectors, such as industry, and even in this last case, the Italians were the protagonists. As an example, between 1880 and 1925, 45 of the total 106 industries founded in this period in Peru, were founded by Italians. A document of the time reported that: "In Lima, in Callao and in the departments of Libertad, Ica and Arequipa, the Italians own the majority of factories of

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

and cotton

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

, shoes, wool and

straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry wikt:stalk, stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the crop yield, yield by weight of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, ry ...

hats, liquor factories, cigarettes, chocolate, soap, furniture, water, beer, bread, pasta and biscuits, etc." In this context, some banks were born, including the "Banco Italiano" (1889), founded by the Italians. In the 20th century the Ligurian emigration ended and there was a consistent arrival of Venetians and southerners, especially from

Basilicata Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...

. In 1910 there were only 6,000 Italians, concentrated in Lima and its port Callao. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

there was a modest recovery of the influx of Italians to Peru, but in a small number if compared to that which went to other South American states (such as

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

and

). The Italians numbered 3,774 in 1940, almost the same as in 1850. They grew to 5,716 in 1961, and decreased to just 4,062 in 1981. Given the high presence of Italians and therefore potential readers, many Italian-language newspapers were founded between 1880 and 1940, such as ''La Patria'' (1872-73), ''L'Italiano'' (1877-79), ''L'Araldo'' (1894-1895), ''O Balilla'' (1902) and ''La Voce d'Italia'' (1887-1943). Currently, about 30,000 Italian citizens live in Peru, concentrated in the capital and other large cities. It is estimated that the descendants amount to about 500,000 people, corresponding to about 1.6% of the total population, the second largest community after the Spanish one. There are also a large number of Peruvian families with Italian surnames for which there are no documents officially proving the presence, in their family tree, of Italian ancestors.

Italian Peruvian institutions and associations

* Asociación de descendientes de Italianos en el Perú * Instituto Cultural Italo-Peruano * Società Italiana d'IStruzione "Scuola Santa Margherita". * Associazione Lombardi del Peru * Associazione Liguri del Peru * Associazione Siciliani del Peru * Circolo Sportivo Italiano. Societta Canottieri "ITALIA" * Circolo Tentrino di Lima * Associazione Nazionale Alpini * Associazione Piemontesi del Perú * Associazione Toscana del Perú * Associazione Sarda del Perú * Associazione Veneti nel Mondo * Camera di Comercio Italiana * Societá Italiana di Benefincenza e Assitenza (SIBA) * Asociación Italiana Peruana Monopoli-Bari "Regione Puglia".

Education and press

The Italian Peruvians have in the Colegio Italiano Antonio Raimondi of Lima, founded in 1930, their major educational center, which also aims to spread the

Italian language Italian (, , or , ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin of the Roman Empire. Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, together with Sardinian language, Sardinian. It is ...

, and in the newspaper ''Il Messaggero Italo-peruviano'' their best informer in the Italian language. As for education, the first Italian-language school in Peru was founded in 1872, followed by many others.

Cuisine

Given the strong presence of Italians of Ligurian ancestry in Peru,

Peruvian cuisine Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Andean and Amazonian cuisine, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine and Italian cuisine) ...

has been influenced by

Italian cuisine Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp. 101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Ancient Roman cuisine, Roman times, and later spread ...

, especially Ligurian. Examples of Ligurian dishes commonly eaten in Peru are

spaghetti Spaghetti () is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta.spaghetti
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Una ...

with pesto sauce, , and

focaccia Focaccia is a Flatbread, flat leavening agent, leavened oven-baked Italian cuisine, Italian bread. In Rome, it is similar to a type of flatbread called (). Focaccia may be served as a side dish or as sandwich bread and it may be round, rectang ...

Notable Italian-Peruvians

* Cristina Aicardi, badminton player *

Maricarmen Alva María del Carmen Alva Prieto (born 24 February 1967) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician who served as the president of the Congress of the Republic of Peru from 26 July 2021 until 26 July 2022, and a member of the Congress representing Lima. S ...

, lawyer and politician *

Piero Alva Piero Fernando Alva Niezen (born 14 February 1979) is a Peruvian Association football, football Coach (sport), coach and former player who played as a Forward (association football), striker. He is the current manager of Club Universitario de Dep ...

, football striker *

Natale Amprimo Natale Juan Amprimo Pla is a Peruvian politician. He was a Member of Congress for the period 2001–2006. He left We Are Peru, former mayor of Lima Alberto Andrade's party, in 2004. He was Alianza para el Progreso's presidential candidate for th ...

, politician * Ronald Baroni, footballer * Francisco Bazán, footballer * Ricardo Belmont, network owner and politician *

Diego Bertie Diego Felipe Bertie Brignardello (2 November 1967 – 5 August 2022) was a Peruvian actor and singer. His performances spanned in film, theatre and television. He studied at Markham College in Lima, Peru and was also a singer in the mid eighti ...

, actor and singer *

Bernardo Bitti Democrito Bernardo Bitti (1548–1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest and painter. He introduced Mannerism to Peru, where he went on a Jesuit mission after having studied in Rome. On his way to Peru, Bitti traveled through Spain, where he became ...

, priest and painter *

, military general * Laura Bozzo, talk show hostess * Enzo Ugo Fassioli, engineer *

Ana Maria Brescia Cafferata Ana Maria Brescia Cafferata (born ) is a Peruvian billionaire heiress. She owns 30% of Grupo Breca, a conglomerate founded by her Italian-born father. Her stakes in the group were previously managed by her brothers, Mario and Pedro, before dying i ...

, billionaire heiress * Pedro Brescia Cafferata, businessman * Rosa Brescia Cafferata, billionaire heiress and philanthropist * Mario Brescia Cafferata, billionaire businessman *

Leao Butrón Leao Butrón Gotuzzo (born 6 March 1977 in Miraflores) is a Peruvian former footballer who last played as a goalkeeper in the Torneo Descentralizado for Alianza Lima. He has made more appearances in the Torneo Descentralizado than any other pl ...

, footballer * Claudia Cagnina, footballer *

Raffaella Camet Raffaella Camet Bertello (born September 14, 1992, in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian volleyball player who plays for the Peru national team. Career Volleyball 2013-present: Senior team On 2013, Raffaella was promoted to the starting line-up of th ...

, volleyball player * César Canevaro, general and politician *

Giancarlo Carmona Giancarlo Carmona Maldonado (born 12 October 1985) is a Peruvian footballer who plays as a centre-back. He currently plays for Academia Deportiva Cantolao. Career Carmona played his first professional years for Alianza Atlético and Universi ...

, footballer *

Carlos Carrillo Parodi Carlos Carrillo Parodi, medical microbiologist, professor and founder of the University Cayetano Heredia, was National Coordinator of the Global Programme of eradication of smallpox in Peru in 1972, founding member of the Society of Infectious Dise ...

, medical microbiologist and professor *

Néstor Cerpa Cartolini Néstor Cerpa Cartolini (14 August 1953 – 22 April 1997) was a member, then leader of the Peruvian Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA). He was sometimes known by the ''nom de guerre'' "Evaristo". He was killed by Peruvian government forc ...

, activist * Mario Carulla, badminton player *

Luis Castañeda Óscar Luis Castañeda Lossio (21 June 1945 – 12 January 2022) was a Peruvian politician who was the Mayor of Lima, the capital city of Peru, from 2003 to 2010. He became Mayor of Lima again in 2015, after being elected for a third nonconsec ...

, politician *

Stephanie Cayo Stephanie Cristina Cayo Sanguinetti (born April 8, 1988) is a Peruvian actress, singer and songwriter. Early life When she was 10 years old, she appeared in Peruvian telenovela ''Travesuras del Corazón''. She later appeared as a primary char ...

, actress, singer and songwriter * Lyana Chirinos, footballer *

Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne (born 28 December 1943) is a Peruvian Catholic who served as Archbishop of Lima from 1999 to 2019. He has been a bishop since 1988 and was made a cardinal in 2001. Biography Early life and career Cipriani attende ...

, prelate *

Emmanuel Crescimbeni José Emmanuel Crescimbeni Barrantes (born June 25, 1990) is an American-born competition swimmer who has represented Peru in international events, specializing in the butterfly. He represented his parents' homeland Peru at the 2008 Summer Olymp ...

, swimmer *

Luisa María Cuculiza Luisa María Cuculiza Torre (born 9 March 1942) is a Peruvian Fujimorist politician and a Congresswoman representing Lima for two terms between 2006 and 2016. Political career From 1993 to 1999, she was mayor (alcalde) of Lima's San Borja Distri ...

, politician *

Andrés F. Dasso Andrés F. Dasso (16 June 1893 in Lima – 1958), was a Peruvian politician. Born the fourth of 11 children to Andrea and María Josefina (Hoke) Dasso. His father, Andrea Dasso, had emigrated to Argentina in 1870 and in 1875 emigrated to Peru ...

, politician * Marco Aurelio Denegri, intellectual, literary critic, television host and sexologist * Gustavo Dulanto, footballer * Anita Fernandini de Naranjo, heiress and politician * Jean Ferrari, footballer *

Raúl Ferrero Rebagliati Raúl Ferrero Rebagliati (20 September 1911 in Barranco, Lima – 22 April 1977 in Lima) was a Peruvian politician who served as 105th Prime Minister of Peru for six months in 1967 and 1968. He was Minister of Economy and Finance from January t ...

, politician * Carlos Ferrero, politician * Virna Flores, actress * Alex Fort Brescia, businessman *

Pedro Gallese Pedro David Gallese Quiroz (born 23 February 1990) is a Peruvian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Orlando City and the Peru national team, which he captains. Club career Universidad San Martín P ...

, footballer * Luis Giampietri, politician * Marisa Glave, sociologist and politician * Juan González-Vigil, footballer *

Chabuca Granda María Isabel Granda Larco (3 September 1920 – 8 March 1983), better known as Chabuca Granda, was a Peruvian singer and composer. She created and interpreted a vast number of Creole Waltz, Criollo waltzes with Afro-Peruvian rhythms. Granda's " ...

, singer and composer *

Luis Horna Luis Horna Biscari (; born 14 September 1980 in Lima) is a former tour professional tennis player from Peru, who turned professional in 1998. Known by his nickname "Lucho", he won 2 career singles titles, reached the quarterfinals of the 2004 ...

, tennis player *

Antauro Humala Antauro Igor Humala Tasso (born 29 June 1963) is a Peruvian ethnocacerist, a former army Major (rank), major, and nationalist leader. He has been the Leader of the political party ANTAURO since its creation in 2023. Early life Antauro Igor Hu ...

, ethnocacerist *

Ollanta Humala Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso (; born 27 June 1962) is a Peruvian politician and former military officer who served as president of Peru from 2011 to 2016. Originally a socialist and left-wing nationalist, he is considered to have shifted towar ...

, politician *

Ulises Humala Ulises Humala Tasso (born 2 March 1959 in Lima) is a Peruvian professor at the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería and a politician who ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2006 election on the Avanza País ticket. He was running against his ...

, professor and politician *

Fernando Iwasaki Fernando Iwasaki Cauti (born 1961) is a Peruvian writer and historian. Born into a family with multiple roots (Japan, Ecuador and Italy). While in Peru, he taught at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and the University of the Pacific ...

, writer and historian *

Saby Kamalich Saby Kamalich, born Sabina Fantoni Kamalich, (13 May 1939 in Lima, Peru – 13 September 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico) was a Peruvian- Mexican actress, known for her work in television and film. Her father Antonio Fantoni was from Italy, and her ...

, actress *

Ismael La Rosa Ismael Armando La Rosa Fernandini (born March 16, 1977) is a Peruvian actor, known for his roles in telenovelas. Biography He was born in San Isidro District, Lima, a descendant of an aristocratic Extremadura family that came to Peru and was ini ...

, actor *

Gianluca Lapadula Gianluca Lapadula Vargas (born 7 February 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Spezia. Born in Italy, he represents Peru at international level. In a journeyman club career, Lapadula has made over 100 appearances ...

, footballer *

Juan Lepiani José Juan de Dios Mateo Osbaldo Botaro Lepiani Toledo (20 September 1864, Lima – 28 November 1932, Rome) was a Peruvian painter. He is primarily known for historical and Patriotism, patriotic scenes; notably those related to the War of the Pac ...

, painter *

Claudia Llosa Claudia Llosa Bueno (born 15 November 1976) is a Peruvian film director, writer, producer, and author. She is recognized for her Academy-Award-nominated film, '' The Milk of Sorrow''. Early life Claudia Llosa was born on November 15, 1976, i ...

, film director, writer, producer, and author *

Francisco José Lombardi Francisco José Lombardi (born 3 August 1949) is a Peruvian film director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. He has directed 17 films since 1977. He received the Silver Shell for Best Director in 1985 for his film ''The City and the Dogs ...

, film director, producer and screenwriter * Guido Lombardi, journalist, lawyer, and politician *

Rafael López Aliaga Rafael Bernardo López Aliaga Cazorla (born 11 February 1961) is a Peruvian businessman and politician, who is serving as mayor of Lima since 2023. He is currently the leader of Popular Renewal, the successor to National Solidarity in 2020. ...

, businessman and politician * Flavio Maestri, football *

María Julia Mantilla María Julia "Maju" Mantilla García (born 10 July 1984) is a Peruvian actress, dancer, model, teacher and beauty queen who won Miss World 2004 in China. Early life Born in Trujillo, Peru, Trujillo, Mantilla is the youngest of the seven sons o ...

, actress, dancer, model, teacher and beauty pageant titleholder *

Gian Marco Gian Marco Javier Zignago Alcóver (born 17 August 1970) is a Peruvian musician and actor. He has won the Latin Grammy Award for the Best Singer-Songwriter Album three times. First in 2005 for his album ''Resucitar'', in 2011 for his album ''Dí ...

, musician and actor *

Pilar Mazzetti Pilar Elena Mazzetti Soler (born 9 September 1956) is a Peruvian physician and health administrator who served as Minister of Health from July 2020 to February 2021, excluding her for nine days from office during the brief presidency of Manuel M ...

, physician * Alessandro Milesi, footballer * Mauricio Montes, footballer *

Francisco Morales Bermúdez Francisco Remigio Morales Bermúdez Cerruti (4 October 1921 – 14 July 2022) was a Peruvian politician and general who was the ''de facto'' President of Peru (2nd President of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces) between 1975 an ...

, politician and general *

Jesús Neyra Jesús Adalberto Neyra Magagna is a Peruvian actor, model, dancer and former football player of Italian descent most known for being a "Hero" in the first and third season of '' El Gran Show''. He is Gianella Neyra's brother. He has studied act ...

, actor, model, dancer and footballer * Piermaria Oddone, physicist *

Alberto Otárola Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda (born 12 February 1967) is a Peruvian attorney and politician who was the Prime Minister of Peru from 2022 until his resignation in 2024. He previously served as Minister of Defense twice, under Ollanta Humala a ...

, attorney and politician *

Giselle Patrón Giselle Patrón (born 9 April 1987 in Lima) is a Peruvian model and actress. Her mother is from France, and her paternal grandparents were from Italy. She has posed for magazines such as ''Maxim'', ''SoHo SoHo, short for "South of Houston S ...

, model and actress *

Gabriela Pérez del Solar Gabriela "Gaby" Lourdes Pérez del Solar Cuculiza (born 10 July 1968) is a Peruvian former volleyball player and two-time Olympian. Following her sports career, she entered politics and served as a Congresswoman of the Christian People's Par ...

, volleyball player * Hugo Pesce, physicist, activist, intellectual and philosopher * Clara Petrozzi, violinist, violist, musicologist and composer * Valeria Piazza, social communicator, model, and beauty pageant titleholder * Walter Piazza, electric engineer, entreprenour and politician * Ana María Picasso, journalist and TV host *

Claudio Pizarro Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio (; born 3 October 1978) is a Peruvian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He is currently serving as club ambassador for Bayern Muni ...

, footballer *

Santiago Queirolo Santiago Queirolo (originally named Giacomo), was a Peruvian pisco producer based in Pueblo Libre, a district in Lima. History Italian immigrant Santiago Queirolo Raggio arrived in Peru in the 1880s, joining a thriving Italian community that had b ...

, pisco producer * Carlos Raffo, politician * Miguel Rebosio, footballer *

Andrés Reggiardo Óscar Andrés Reggiardo Sayán (11 May 1941 – 5 February 2025) was a Peruvian Fujimorist politician who served as a congressman. His son Renzo Reggiardo also served as a Congressman for Lima for two terms between 2006 and 2016. Background ...

, politician *

Renzo Reggiardo Renzo Andrés Reggiardo Barreto (born 1 July 1972) is a Peruvian politician from Popular Renewal, businessman and a former Congress of the Republic of Peru, Congressman representing the constituency of Lima for two terms, between 2006 and 2016. ...

, politician *

José de la Riva Agüero José Mariano de la Cruz de la Riva Agüero y Sánchez Boquete (3 May 1783 – 21 May 1858) was a Peruvian soldier and politician who was the first president of Peru and the second president of North Peru, a constituent country of the Peru ...

, soldier, politician and historian * Rafael Roncagliolo, sociologist, diplomat, and politician * Santiago Roncagliolo, writer, screenwriter, translator and journalist *

Alessia Rovegno Alessia Rovegno Cayo is a Peruvian beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Peru 2022. Rovegno represented Peru at Miss Universe 2022 and reached the Top 16. Early life and career She is a member of the Peruvian entertainment Cayo fa ...

, model, singer and beauty pageant titleholder *

Francisco Sagasti Francisco Rafael Sagasti Hochhausler (; born 10 October 1944) is a Peruvian engineer, academic, politician, and author who served as the President of Peru from November 2020 to July 2021. Sagasti has worked as an advisor for economic developme ...

, engineer, academic and politician * Johanna San Miguel, actress, presenter and comedian * Luis Solari, politician *

Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva Order of the British Empire, OBE Royal Photographic Society#Distinctions and qualifications, HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in ...

, fashion and portrait photographer *

Alfredo Tomassini Alfredo Tomasini (24 June 1964 – 8 December 1987) was a Peruvian football player. Nicknamed ''el Tanque Blanco'', Tomasini was a forward for the club Sporting Cristal between 1985 and 1986 and Alianza Lima, until 1987 when he died in an airpla ...

, footballer * Gian Carlo Vacchelli, sports commentator and politician * Rodrigo Vilca, footballer *

Jaime Yzaga Jaime Yzaga Tori (born 23 October 1967) is a Peruvian former professional tennis player. He reached two major singles quarterfinals during his career, at the 1991 Australian Open and the 1994 US Open. Tennis career As a junior, Yzaga won the ...

, tennis player *

Enrique Zileri Enrique Zileri Gibson (; 4 June 1931 – 24 August 2014) was the publisher of ''Caretas'' (Masks), Peru's leading newsmagazine, which was cofounded by his mother Doris Gibson. He ran the magazine as "a symbol of resistance" against successive Per ...

, journalist and writer *

Marco Zunino Marco Aurelio Zunino Costa (born 12 November 1976) is a Peruvian actor, singer, songwriter and dancer. In his country has starred in the musicals '' Jesucristo Superstar'', ''Cabaret'', ''Rent'' and '' Amor sin barreras (West Side Story)''. Zu ...

, actor, singer, songwriter and dancer

References

External links

Italy-Peru news
at ItaliaPeru.com {{Portal bar, Italy, Peru Ethnic groups in Peru European diaspora in Peru

Peruvians Peruvians (''/peruanas'') are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 ...

History

Spanish colonial era

After independence

Italian Peruvian institutions and associations

Education and press

Cuisine

Notable Italian-Peruvians

See also

References

External links