ATTRACTIONS

Plaza de Armas.
Designed by Pedro de Valdivia, people consider it as the heart of the city. It is surrounded by the Cathedral, the Audiencia Real (Royal Court), the Central Post Office -formerly Valdivia's house- and Santiago's City Hall. At sunset it becomes a meeting and recreation point where senior citizens, immigrants or mere passers-by take a rest, feed the pigeons or just hang out under the fresh shade of leafy trees.

Santiago's Cathedral.
The building of the current temple -which is the fourth one, since the previous three were devastated by earthquakes and fires-, was initiated during the government of Ortiz de Rosas, between 1748 and 1775. The new church is located in the same place chosen by Pedro de Valdivia, the city's founder, for the original one.
Joaquin Toesca took part in its fourth restoration giving architectural unity to the Cathedral, as he blended both classical and baroque styles. Inside, it has three naves, two on the sides and a higher one in the center, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling.
Some of the most outstanding features are the main altar, original from Munich and made of white marble with bronze and lapis lazuli; the Holy Sacrament chapel, built after the style of the Saint John and Saint Paul Martyr chapel in Rome; as well as the organs, pulpits and carved mahogany altar seats, dating from the 18th century.
The Cathedral was made a National Monument in 1951 and is the home of the Museum of Sacred Art.

"Real Audiencia" Palace or National Historical Museum.
Built between 1804 and 1907, its construction was in the hands of Juan José de Goycolea, who imprinted a neo-classical style with Tuscan elements. It was inaugurated in 1808 and it was used as Court seat for a brief period. It later witnessed the First Local Government ("Primera Junta de Gobierno") declaring Chilean independence. In 1911 it was converted into the National Historical Museum with more than 12 thousand pieces, distributed throughout 16 rooms representing the different periods of the history of Chile. It was consecrated as a National Monument in 1969.

Santiago's City Hall.
It is located on the northern wing of the square, on the same site where the "Cabildo" -City Hall- functioned during colonial times, and was later used as a prison. It was first built in 1670 and rebuilt in 1790. It was destroyed by a fire a century later and restored again in 1892 and 1895, according to the style of those days.

"Palacio de la Moneda".
It is the government and presidential seat; it was build by orders of the Spanish Crown toward the end of the 18th century. The design of the Italian architect Joaquin Toesca gave the building a neo-classical yet austere style. The work was done works between 1784 and 1799 and originally it housed the Mint. However, after the Chilean Declaration of Independence it became the residence of the presidents of Chile.

"Casa Colorada" (Red House).
It is the best-kept colonial residence in town. Located in Merced 860, it was built in 1769 by Don Mateo del Toro y Zambrano, a prosperous entrepreneur who got the title of Count of the Conquest buying it from the Spanish Royal Family. This beautiful house took ten years to be completed and it broke a few of the architectural canons of the time. It was the first two-storied building with a stone-covered façade in Santiago. But the innovation was that the first floor was designed for the family's commercial activities, whereas the second floor was the residential part. In 1978, the "Red House", so called after its red façade, became a National Monument. Two years later, it was to become Santiago's Museum. Its seven rooms display the life of Santiago from the era of the Araucanos to the present day.

Cousiño Palace.
This Versailles-style mansion, which combines harmonious, sober and stylish lines, truthfully represents the taste and way of life of the Chilean elite toward the end of the 19th and beginnings of the 20th century. It was built by the influential aristocrat Mr. Luis Cousiño, who entrusted the architect Paul Lathoud with the construction of the majestic residence to honor his wife, Mrs. Isidora Goyenechea and to show the extent of his wealth, one of the largest in the country.
The house has a striking double-height living room, marble staircases, as well as ample rooms and a dining room that keep its original furniture. The house has been magnificently decorated, with iron railings, delicate wood, velvet, brocade and silk wall coverings.
In 1941, the mansion and part of the furniture were acquired by Santiago's City Town Hall and it became later a museum and a lodging place for distinguished visitors, such as General De Gaulle and Marshal Tito, among others. In 1968, the second and third stories were seriously destroyed by fire, and they had to be restored.
The palace is a National Monument. Address: Calle Dieciocho 438.

Mapocho Station.
It is currently the largest cultural center in the country, offering a wide variety of artistic and cultural life. This former train station, which used to connect Santiago with the city of Mendoza in Argentina, as well as with the northern part of the country and the port in Valparaiso, wa in use between 1913 and 1987.
Its construction was directed by the Chilean architect Emilio Jequier, who had been strongly influenced during his studies in France by Gustavo Eiffel's style. Thus, steel constitutes a central element in his work.
Once the station had stopped functioning as such, it remained abandoned before it was recycled to turn it into an important cultural centre,. The refurbishment ended in 1994, it was done respecting the original design.
Address: Balmaceda 1215.