The road that today constitutes the street was laid by Francisco Pizarro when he founded the city of Lima on January 18, 1535.
In 1862, when a new urban nomenclature was adopted, the road was named jirón Quilca, after the district in Camaná Province, Arequipa. Prior to this renaming, each block (cuadra) had a unique name:
Block 2: San Jacinto, after the chapel of the same name that existed in the 17th century. In 1857, the first gas factory for public lighting was built in this area.[2]
Block 3: Alfareros, after the various clay article making shops that existed during the viceroyalty.[1]
During the economic crisis of the 1980s, both Quilca and Camaná streets became known for their book stores, which sold second-hand books and music cassettes at an affordable price. The leasing contract between these stores and the Archdiocese of Lima, effective since 1997, expired in 2016.[3] A known place is the Bar Queirolo, a restaurant in the street's corner with Camaná.[3]
In the early morning of October 27, 2018, the Giacoletti Building, located on the street's first block, was damaged by a fire that lasted three hours.[4][5] The building has remained empty since, still in a dilapidated state and without final demolition or reconstruction due to bureaucratic obstacles and financing problems.[6] Currently, only the outer part of the building remains, although plans to rebuild it have been proposed.[7]
