The National University of San Marcos, founded in 1551, is in Lima, Peru’s capital.
Its official foundation was authorized on May 12, 1551, by a royal decree of Charles I of Spain, also known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The institution grew from general studies conducted at the Dominican Convent of the Rosario in Lima and began operating formally in 1553. It was later granted pontifical status and named for Saint Mark the Evangelist.
San Marcos is commonly called the oldest continuously operating university in the Americas, though claims about the first university in the Western Hemisphere involve differing definitions and historical debates. It was known for centuries as the Royal and Pontifical University of the City of the Kings of Lima. The city itself was founded in 1535 as the City of the Kings and became the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru.