Four historic maps created between 1584 and 1717, that reaffirm Peru as the birthplace of pisco have been included in UNESCO National Memory of the World Register.
In the picture above, the president of the Peruvian Academy of Pisco, Jhonny Schuler, receives the recognition from the Peruvian Committee Memory of the World-Unesco. On the left, Fernando López Sánchez, president of the Committee and on the right the institutional head of the AGN, Nicolás Sánchez.
Why these maps are considered heritage?
Fernando López Sánchez, president of the Peruvian Committee for Memory of the World of Unesco, explained to the Andina agency that, due to its age, this documentation is considered heritage, whether or not it is formally declared.
In addition, he stressed that the function of the Committee is to endorse this condition and make the national heritage visible.
He also mentioned five documents from the General Archive of the Nation (AGN), dated between 1583 and 1613, which are related to the origin of pisco and which record the first production of grape brandy in Peru. These documents were recently included in the Regional Memory of the World Register of Latin America and the Caribbean of Unesco.
“The Peruvian population can access the Unesco Memory of the World Register to learn about the identity elements of our heritage and feel reflected in it. In such a globalized world, it is a way to strengthen our identity compared to other countries in the region,” he explained.
Strengthened Peruvian identity
For his part, the institutional head of the National General Archive (AGN), Nicolás Díaz Sánchez, recalled that the manuscripts were declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in May of this year, since they support the way pisco was produced in the 16th and 17th centuries and are the oldest.
"These documents consolidate our identity and give it a basis. Memory allows us to recognize our past, identify present problems and rescue good practices," he said.
On the other hand, he pointed out that the private cartography of the taster and restorer, who is also president of the Peruvian Academy of Pisco (APP), complements the manuscripts found by the AGN, which identify geographies and have been validated with the cartography.
In this regard, the president of the APP, Johnny Schuler, commented that the four maps in his collection were selected by the Peruvian Committee for Memory of the World of Unesco for being rare, attractive and made by highly relevant cartographers.
“All my maps have a common thread: Pisco. They contribute to affirming the Peruvian identity. I do not buy them if the Pisco area does not appear. These cartographic works reinforce the documents of the AGN. The texts are supported by cartographic documents. There is no longer any doubt about who, how and when pisco was invented. There is certainty about who was the first pisco producer in the region,” he added.
What is the Memory of the World program?
The Memory of the World programme was created by UNESCO in 1992 with the aim of promoting the conservation and access to humanity's documentary heritage, including its digitalisation.
Various factors, such as lack of resources, looting, wars and illegal trade, make documentary heritage vulnerable to destruction or loss. This is why it is so important to safeguard it.
The programme is implemented through a system of committees and support mechanisms that operate at international, regional and national levels.
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