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Valparaiso, the port city for
Santiago and home to the Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda, is a charming resort
surrounded by steep hills which make it an authentic amphitheater. Spanish colonial mansions
and baronial buildings contrast the architecture of this important city. |
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HISTORY
Lieutenant Juan de Saavedra is credited as the founder of Valparaiso in 1536.
The Spanish Crown established a town council in
1791, but it was not until 1802,
that Valparaiso officially became a city. After Valparaiso’s independence, British and North Americans began
establishing themselves throughout the area. It was the foreigners that
created a boom in commerce by trading in goods and merchandise such as boxes,
iron-bars and timber to name a few. By the mid 1800’s Valparaiso’s population grew to
55,000, which was brought on by the demand for Chilean wheat. By the late
1800’s the city's population increased to over
100,000, due in part to the
completion of the railroad from Santiago. Valparaiso’s major industries are
mining, fruit growing and food processing plants. The 2nd
largest city in Chile is Valparaiso, with a population of 300,000. |
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PLACES OF INTEREST |
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De la Matriz
Church
Located on Bustamante Street in the midst of Valparaiso’s oldest neighborhood,
the "Iglesia de la Matriz" contains a 17th century carving of Jesus on the cross, which was
donated by the king and queen of Spain. The building was constructed in 1842.
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Naval
and Maritime Museum
Located at the top of the Ascensor Artillería, this
"Museo Naval y Marítimo"
features many exhibits chronicling the history of Valparaiso as a premier port
and naval base.
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Artilleria
Elevator
The
city is built on steep
mountains facing the bay, so there are funicular elevators all around.
A famous cable car -the Artilleria Elevator-
rides from the old customs building to the Paseo 21 de Mayo, a wide, tree-line
balcony, cut in to the cliff. This area, one of Valparaiso’s
classiest neighborhoods, affords the best view over the surrounding city and
port.
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Open-Air
Museum
This "museo a cielo abierto" features a series of colorful wall murals
lining the interconnecting paths, stairs and streets. The exhibition begins
on
Aldunate Street and rises up the steep hillside. Visitors may wish to ride the
Ascensor Espíritu Santo (Elevator of the Holy Spirit) back to the base of the
hill, or from the base to the summit, to view the museum in reverse.
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Viña del Mar
This attractive coastal resort, just 6 miles north of Valparaiso, is the city’s
beautiful twin. Wide tree-lined avenues and immaculate gardens surround
expensive hotels, high-class restaurants and a Monte Carlo-style casino, that
reside in this fashionable "Vineyard of the Sea".
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ACTIVITY |
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Make
questions corresponding to the highlighted sentences. Real answers have
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