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History of Santiago

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The city of Santiago was founded by a small band of Spanish conquistadors led by Pedro de Valdivia on February 12, 1541. Pedro de Valdivia had traveled across the Andes Mountains from Peru. The founding ceremony transpired at the bottom of Santa Lucia Hill. Pedro de Valdivia organized the city very early in keeping with the traditional Spanish checkerboard layout, and this pattern is still apparent today in the downtown region. He selected the location primarily due to its moderate climate and the fact that it could be defended without much difficulty. However, within six months, the Araucanian Indians destroyed everyone in the city and caused the settlement to consist of not much more than a besieged hillside camp of adobe houses for several years. In time, reinforcements from Peru arrived and made it possible for Santiago to be re-founded and fall into its colonial position as a provincial capital within the Viceroyalty of Peru.

The native Picunche Indians helped construct the first buildings of Santiago. Santiago was divided by the Mapocho River, but rejoined further downstream, creating an island out of the region. The southern bank of the river was eventually drained and made into a public promenade, established as the Alameda.

During the War of Independence fought in 1810-1818, Santiago experienced some minor damage as one of the battles, the Battle of Maipú, was engaged in the south west of the city. Finally, in 1818, Santiago was declared the capital of Chile. After gaining its independence, Chile surfaced as the most economically vibrant of the new South American republics. Chile had continued as a backwater of imperial Spain for almost three centuries so that it was not until the end of the 18th century that Santiago finally began to resemble more of a city. Upgrades began in the city as roads between Santiago and its primary port of Valparaiso were enhanced and construction began along the Mapocho River in order to avoid it from flooding. Unfortunately, the improvements were slow in coming, and by the time the colonial rule ended in the beginning of the 19th century, Santiago still had only 30,000 inhabitants. Schools in the city were in the minority and there was barely any cultural life.

During the early 19th century, Santiago continued as a tiny town with sparse buildings, other than the Palacio de La Moneda and a minority of other civic buildings and churches. Affluence came to the area in the 1880s when nitrate fertilizer was extracted from the region of Northern Chile. The increase of the country’s agriculture and mining industries helped to enhance Santiago’s status. In addition, Santiago underwent large-scale immigration from Europe. This helped boost the advancement of Santiago as the capital of the city. In 1910, significant landmarks, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, were erected in order to promote the celebration of Chile’s independence from Spain. By the 1930s, modern Santiago, with its green areas and architecture had emerged. The city’s population also boomed as a result of the migration from the north and south of Chile.

Unfortunately, Santiago experienced an earthquake in 1985, which ruined several important buildings in the downtown area. However, today Santiago remains a significant financial center in South America. It preserves much of its Old World appeal, especially near the Plaza de Armas, the central square first marked out by Pedro de Valdivia.

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