Piura, founded as San Miguel de Piura is a city in the north western area of Peru, capital of the homonymous region. It is located in the center west of the region, in the Piura river valley, north of the Sechura desert, 981 km north of Lima and close to the border with Ecuador. It is the fifth most populated in the country, reaching officially according to the INEI census of 2017, the 484 475 inhabitants.

It was founded by Francisco Pizarro on August 15, 1532, receiving its coat of arms in 1537. At present, the city fulfills the role of the main commercial, administrative and service center of the department of Piura.