Santiago de Chile (Chile): description, sights and interesting facts

Chile is an amazing ancient country, which for Russians is an unconditional exotic. The capital of the state, Santiago de Chile, whose attractions amaze with its diversity, today is a huge city with a unique appearance and a very hospitable population.

City `s history

On the site of modern Santiago de Chile once lived Mapuche Indians, archaeologists say that the first settlements here appeared about 15 thousand years ago. The climate of the country is rather severe, therefore the population of the first inhabitants developed very slowly, around the second millennium BC agricultural and cattle-breeding cultures are formed here. Gradually, the land is inhabited by immigrants from other regions, and by the 14th century settlements with a great diversity of ethnic composition have formed here, together there are such peoples as changas, atakamenos, and almar.

In 1471 the power over the region was taken over by the Incas. In 1520, the foot of the first European stepped on the land of South America - Fernand Magellan, from this moment for a future Chile begins a new round of history. In 1541, Pedro de Valdivia, a Spanish conquistador, broke a settlement at the foot of the Santa Lucia Mountains, which later became the city of Santiago de Chile. The conqueror was struggling to master new lands - local Indians fiercely resisted. De Valdivia proclaimed himself governor of Chile and gave the name to a new city in honor of the Apostle St. James. Pedro de Gamboa, who was commissioned to build a new city, plans to settle on the ancient system with a large square in the middle, with a cathedral, a luxurious governor's house and a prison.

Governor Valdivia could not permanently be in the city, he led the troops in the Araucanian war against the local Indians. In September 1541, the Indians destroyed the city, defending the rights to its historical land. Later years the Spaniards rebuilt the city, reflecting the furious attacks of the Mapuchi tribes. Of course, the Spaniards won, destroying a huge number of local people, and the city already lived its own life.

Until 1818, Santiago de Chile was part of the kingdom of Peru, Chile was a poor colony and remained in the shadow of a powerful ruler. In 1808, when Spain's colonial oppression weakened as a result of its capture by Napoleon, a wave of liberation movement began in Chile. It led to the fact that in 1810 Chile declared its independence, this led to an almost 10-year war. But the status of an independent country was defended, and Santiago became the capital of a new state. During its history, the city suffered several major earthquakes that affected its appearance. In the 20th century, Santiago became the arena of political wars, coups, the junta's rule, the restoration of democracy took place here. Since the late 1990s, Chile has been actively promoted as a tourist region, travelers have traveled to the capital, and the city has begun a new phase in its history.

general characteristics

Santiago is the capital of Chile, located in the center of the country, surrounded by majestic mountain peaks. In the city the Mapocho River flows, which originates in mountain streams, also in Santiago 4 more smaller rivers and there are 6 artificial canals. The climate of Santiago is similar to the Mediterranean with a short rainy winter (average temperature of 10 degrees) and a hot summer (average temperature of 26 degrees), especially a good city in the autumn and spring periods. The population of the city is 5.5 million people, the ethnic composition of the population is very diverse, they are descendants of Europeans, Indians of different tribes. Most of the people in Santiago consider themselves Catholics.

Today, Santiago de Chile is a major economic center, here are the centers of the textile, food, chemical, engineering industries, and trade is under way. Despite the fact that this is the capital, all government bodies are in Valparaiso. The structure of the city is unique: it consists of independent municipal formations, communes, without centralized management. In all, there are 37 communes to the capital, and only one of them is called Santiago, all together they are called Big Santiago.

How to get there

In Santiago de Chile, whose airport is 15 km from the city, it's easiest to get by European airlines. There is no direct air service between Russia and Chile, so the most convenient option is to connect at one of the airports in Europe, for example, in Lisbon or Madrid. The flight will take about 18 hours and more, depending on the time of the transplant. But such a long way will be more than rewarded with the beauties and sights of the city.

Things to do

The capital of Chile provides a variety of opportunities for recreation. In addition to sightseeing, you can taste tasting Chilean wines and dishes. It is necessary to visit the Central Market, which presents a huge variety of fish and seafood, fruits and vegetables. Here you can eat real Chilean food, for example soup from eels or ceviche. You can go to a football match: the team "Universidad de Chile" in Santiago, the real national heroes. Each of their games is not only a sports match, but also an exciting observation of the experiences of fans.

For tourists with children, a visit to the park is a fantasy park with a lot of attractions. Chilean shopping is another fascinating activity, in Santiago there is a village of artisans, in which you can buy various handicrafts, and at the same time see and even try different kinds of folk crafts.

A separate story is wine tasting. Chilean wines are so good that the pope, for example, drinks only them. Today in Santiago de Chile special excursions with wine tastings are held, where you can learn about the creation of wine and taste different varieties.

Main Attractions

Many cities of South America represent a unique combination of different cultural traditions, and not an exception - Santiago de Chile (Chile). The description of attractions always begins with the Plaza de Armas - the heart of the city. Around the square there are interesting historical sites. It is worth paying attention to the Governor's house, the building of the Royal Audience, the Cathedral, the palace of La Moneda.

The main cathedral of the country, which is also the largest, was built in the late 18th century in the Baroque style, it houses a unique organ and carved wooden chairs of the 19th century. The official residence of the President of Chile, the palace of La Moneda, in classical style, is a real gem of the city.

An important landmark of the city is the Museum of pre-Columbian art, it contains a unique collection of items of Indian life, crafts, art. The city is interesting for its contrasts: next to the ultramodern skyscrapers you can find patriarchal quarters with two-story mansions.

Where to eat

In Santiago de Chile, no one will remain hungry. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants here. Many establishments with a national cuisine with prices for any purse. One of the most luxurious restaurants is the elegant and expensive El Divertimento, in which you can taste high Chilean cuisine. To eat meat cooked according to local recipes, you can eat at Dona Tina, the average check here is quite moderate. In addition, the city has a lot of small cafes where you can taste delicious authentic food, the main thing is to choose an institution where many local people eat. The central market is concentrated food points with an average price and very high quality food.

Helpful information

Santiago is a flourishing capital of Chile, the transportation system is very well developed here. The fastest way to get to the right place will be the metro. In order to visit Santiago de Chile, Russians do not need a visa. For a quick acquaintance with the city, you can take advantage of convenient double-decker buses for tourists who make a trip to the main places of the capital. The most popular souvenirs from Santiago are products made from wool of alpaca and llama, souvenirs made of wood in ethnic style, ceramics and, of course, wines.

Interesting Facts

Santiago de Chile experienced four major earthquakes: in 1647, when about 600 residents of the city were killed, in 1822 and 1835, when many buildings of the conquistadors were destroyed, in 2010, when there were about 2 million left without shelter Residents, the number of dead and missing persons exceeded 2 thousand. In Santiago, there is a law that requires that on 18 September, on the Day of the Motherland, a national flag be hung on each building. The capital of Chile was recognized as the safest city in South America, here you can walk at any time in any part of the city.