Arriving to Barranco from Miraflores through one of the main avenues, like the Bolognesi Av. or the Grau Av., it goes inside a small city constructed with urban spaces that conserve their original intimate scale of closed character. The cosy atmosphere of the set confers a singular city-planning value to it. This old Balneario of Lima, was born by the end of XVIII Century, founded by the neighbors of the villa of Surco, where was established a Spanish population related to the rich farms of the environs.

Primitively it was a small village of fishing natives. Barranco got importance during the Republic when becoming a center of summering of remarkable Limean families that construct beautiful residences, English and German families who raised beautiful farms surrounded by gardens contributed to the progress and embellishment of Barranco.

Great trees bordered the calm streets of Barranco. In 1870 was constructed a slope to the baths.
This slope was constructed by a series of ramps that arrived until the sea. In 1821 was built the Levee of the English men, point of meeting and strolls, surrounded by elegant farms.

Barranco was called the “City of the Mills”, because the houses had air mills for water supply, and that gave a pleasing and colorful aspect to it.
It is to be notice that its flowery atmosphere of clear spaces and, at the same time, intimate made to say to one of our great poets, Abraham Valdelomar, “I come to Barranco to wash my spirit in the clearness of the sky and to perfume it”. Many great figures of the Peruvian poetry like Jose Maria Eguren and Martin Adan lived in Barranco.

The more important residences of Barranco at the aims of XIX Century and the beginning of the XXth have a character of elegant neoclassic correction.
In form of “U” with central grates, elements of wood and academic architecture or of a luxurious fantasy, getting near to notables and peculiar architectonic expressions. The house of the Osma family is a building located in the Pedro de Osma Av. Nº 423, most of the buildings of this avenue are constructions of a single floor of marinates and constructed at the beginning of XX Century.

It also exists in the zone new buildings, generally constructions of more than two floors, that would break per moments the scale of the avenue, but for the existing arborization of ficus seeded by 1891.

Historical facts of the house
1871: Mr. Nazario Espichan sells Maria Loreto Cusso a land that is contiguous by both flanks with lands of the Property Villa, by the head, with lands of Blas Espichan, and by the seat, with lands of Sinforoso Aguirre.
1898: Mrs. Loreto leaves between its goods, a little farm in the Tree-lined Avenue that leads from Barranco to Chorrillos, to her daughter Antonia Falcon de Mayorga. The extension of the building if about a half fanegada.
Pedro de Osma Av., 421-423-425.
1906 Mr. Pedro de Osma y Pardo acquires dominion of the building by transaction. From the same year it dates an elevation of the construction, with two floors of height, signed by Basurco Architect.
1907 The land is subject to interdiction decreed by Permanent Military Judge of the Zone of Lima, by crime of rebellion and others, by Augusto Durand, Pedro de Osma, and others. “In attention to the gravity and multiplicity of the crimes, matter of this instruction, to the enormous quantity of the civil responsibilities to pay, the caused damages, the expenses conducted by the state treasury (…) do the embargo of his goods, sending immediately the respective offices to all the Registries of Immovable Property of the Republic.” This same year, the interdiction is cancelled, by virtue of the ordered by the Privative Room of First Instance of the Most excellent Supreme Court.
1908: Mrs. Angelica Gildemeister de Osma acquires the land, by virtue of the declaration of Mr. Pedro de Osma y Pardo, in which it declares to have acquired this property, with money of his wife.
1920-1936: The building is a space recognized by the important receptions and celebrations of the carnival, organized by its owners.
1948: Mr. Pedro de Osma Gildemeister begins to show his collection of objects of Virreynal Art in its majority, previous appointment.
1953: Mr. Pedro and Mrs. Angelica de Osma Gildemeister, acquire dominion of the building by inheritance, when passing away theirs mother.
1967: Mrs. Angelica de Osma Gildemeister, acquire dominion of the building passing away her brother.
1974: After the earthquake, the building is damaged, canceling the visits to the Collection.
1984: The building is affected to the Angelica de Osma Gildemeister Foundation, by the will of its owner according to testament.
1980: The building is declared National Monument, by ministerial resolution Nº 0928-80-ED.
1987: The collection is presented to the public like Pedro de Osma Museum.
1981: Begins the Restoration Project to transform the building into a museum. The project was commissioned to the architect Eugenio Nicolini. The project includes the restoration of the Main House and the Pavilion placed behind the house named as Dinning Room.
2004: The building is affected to the Pedro and Angelica de Osma Gildemeister Foundation.