Legislative Palace (Peru)

The Legislative Palace of Peru is the seat of the Congress of Peru, the legislative branch of Peruvian government. It is located at the Jirón Ayacucho (formerly Urubamba) of the historical centre of Lima, next to the Plaza Bolivar.

The palace contains the congressional chambers, the Raúl Porras Barrenechea Hall; the Hall of the Lost Steps; and the offices of the congressional leaders, commissions, and parliamentary groups. This building houses the sessions of Congress as well as the inauguration speech of the President.

When the Congress of Peru first met in 1822, meetings took place at the same site in what was then the main building of the University of San Marcos. Construction on a new legislative building began in 1904 based on the design of the French architect Emilio Robert. While the building served several political functions over the following decades of construction, it was not permanently occupied until 1938 during the presidency of Óscar R. Benavides.