Pardon the awful rhyming pun as the title, it's poor even by my standards for those of you who know me, but I couldn't think of anything else to put, and once I thought of it, even knowing how terrible it was, I just had to put it!
Anyway, enough about the pun! So the other day (Friday 26th), I visited one of the historical landmarks in Santiago, El Cerro Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Hill). It is a big hill near the town centre which has been around for millions of years. At the time of going up it, I hadn't the faintest idea of what it was all about, but I quickly got sucked in by the peculiar architecture, a plaque there signed by Charles Darwin, and the general historical atmosphere of the place.
Let me start by telling you what the main attraction of the hill has become these days, the selfie. Yep, you read that right, not the history but the chance to have a selfie against the backdrop of the urban sprawl of the vast city and La Cordillera, a range of mountains surrounding the city which form part of the Andes. There were travellers who had come on their own, a huge amount of loved-up teenage couples which did make for a few cheesy moments and I even saw a group of French people who must have come a long way to see it! In fact, let me emphasise the amount of loved-up couples! In every direction you turn, there were another couple sucking each others faces off like vampires. You couldn't help but look! It is crazy how common it is for couples to publicly display their affection! On the metro, in the street, and now historical landmarks. I won't dare to think what will be next! To be fair, I too tried to take a selfie, sorry if that makes you slightly disappointed in me, but it wasn't the main reason I went there. It was because I was told the view was great, which it was to be fair, which is why I couldn't resist the chance to take a legitimate selfie with the Andes on my awful phone, which you can see below!
P.s. For the record, my phone doesn't have a front-facing camera, so I had to turn it around and keep hoping I had pressed the button to take a picture. This also meant not being able to see how the picture would be before taking it, so don't laugh.
Anyway, enough about the pun! So the other day (Friday 26th), I visited one of the historical landmarks in Santiago, El Cerro Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Hill). It is a big hill near the town centre which has been around for millions of years. At the time of going up it, I hadn't the faintest idea of what it was all about, but I quickly got sucked in by the peculiar architecture, a plaque there signed by Charles Darwin, and the general historical atmosphere of the place.
Let me start by telling you what the main attraction of the hill has become these days, the selfie. Yep, you read that right, not the history but the chance to have a selfie against the backdrop of the urban sprawl of the vast city and La Cordillera, a range of mountains surrounding the city which form part of the Andes. There were travellers who had come on their own, a huge amount of loved-up teenage couples which did make for a few cheesy moments and I even saw a group of French people who must have come a long way to see it! In fact, let me emphasise the amount of loved-up couples! In every direction you turn, there were another couple sucking each others faces off like vampires. You couldn't help but look! It is crazy how common it is for couples to publicly display their affection! On the metro, in the street, and now historical landmarks. I won't dare to think what will be next! To be fair, I too tried to take a selfie, sorry if that makes you slightly disappointed in me, but it wasn't the main reason I went there. It was because I was told the view was great, which it was to be fair, which is why I couldn't resist the chance to take a legitimate selfie with the Andes on my awful phone, which you can see below!
P.s. For the record, my phone doesn't have a front-facing camera, so I had to turn it around and keep hoping I had pressed the button to take a picture. This also meant not being able to see how the picture would be before taking it, so don't laugh.
Also, apologies for the darkness of the photos but again, my phone has been useless since day one. I'm going to go to Santa Lucia again one day with my brilliant digital camera and take some better photos for you to enjoy! You can see a fraction of the landscape at least in the selfie, I mean, if you squint hard enough, I'm sure you can just about see the peak of the Andes.
The History
Moving on from the view, let me get into the history! What shocked me most when I started looking it up online was that I found that the hill is a remnant of a volcano from over 15 million years ago, so I can technically now say I have been to a volcano, even if I was unaware of it at the time!
So, first off, just a bit of background information about Santa Lucia. Originally, the hill was known as Huelén (Curse) when Pedro de Valdivía, the conqueror of Chile, founded Santiago in 1541, because it was seen as an annoyance and an imperfection in the landscape that seemed to have risen out of nowhere, and served no purpose in terms of being an asset to the city. However, after the conquest of Chile, Valdivía decided he would make some use of it and converted it into a popular plot for mass vegetation due to its position and the frequent ideal weather for growth present in the country. Furthermore, it was used as a stronghold, to defend the city from attack by the Indians trying to reclaim their land. The Indians were angry when they discovered the greedy intentions of the Spanish after the conquerors forced the native settlers to work in mines in the nearby city of Valparaíso after it was rumoured that they may contain gold!
For centuries it continued being known as Huelén, despite its minor role in the battle against the Indians. However, in 1816, the Brigadier of the Royal Engineers, Manuel Olaguer Feliú began to draw on Santa Lucia hill, and later build two stone forts, one on the north side and the other on the south of the hill, on which to put between 8 and 12 canons in the instance of an attack. Furthermore, he constructed a small building to be used both as an ammunition depot, and a shelter for the troops who defended the city, known as the garrison.
Another use that was found for the hill at this point was as a cemetery. It served as the burial place for dissidents, meaning those who didn't follow the Roman-Catholic faith or who were deemed unworthy of a respected burial. This was only for a short time however, as the remains were moved to the General Cemetary of Santiago, which then became a burial ground for all, and not just the 'unworthy'.
It was later in 1872 when the hill started to become seen as something other than a curse, when plans were drawn up for 150 prisoners to construct paths, walkways and small squares for public use. This was because of Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna, a Chilean politician who sought an urban remodelling of the city of Santiago, and whose plans included turning El Cerro Santa Lucia into a place which the public could take pleasure in. This included plans for a chapel which still remains near the top of the hill.
My Favourite Features
Now let me talk in a bit more detail about the 2 features I found to be my favourite on Santa Lucia.
When you first enter, the main key feature you see is the public park, at a slightly lower point on the hill. This wasn't a hotspot for the couples, but for families looking for a great day out, or simply couples looking to relax. What amazed me about this part was the huge fountain on the further side. Fantastic marble staircases led up into a huge white and gold archway which formed the perimeter of the fountain! It was beautiful! On top of the fountain itself rested a small statue of the greek-god Neptune. You can tell that back in the 1870s when Mackenna planned the urban remodelling of the hill with trusted architects, they must have planned and worked tirelessly to create this masterpiece! The area is so tranquil, that on descending the hill, I stopped for about 10 minutes on a bench directly opposite the fountain to take in the serene atmosphere. For me, this was the highlight of Santa Lucia, which I recommend for all to see.
Another curious feature of this part of the hill, were 2 lone totem-like structures that I am yet to understand. I couldn't find any information as to their purpose, or as to who created them. They could be there simply as a photo opportunity for tourists, which I personally doubt due to their immaculate craftsmaship, they may be a result of Mackenna's plan to improve the area, or they may have been put there by settlers or indigenous people from centuries ago. I choose to believe the latter. It may even be that no one knows what they are, but with so few sources it is difficult to say for definite.
Another interesting feature was the Jardín de Darwin (Darwin's Garden) located at the top of the hill. It was named after the popular naturalist when he came to visit Santa Lucia on the 17th August 1834. A small plaque is in place to commemorate his visit, on which is written his thoughts on the hill. It states, "Una inagotable fuente de placer es escalar el Cerro Santa Lucia, una pequeña colina rocosa que se levanta en el centro de la ciudad. Desde allí las vista es verdaderamente impresionante y única." (To climb Santa Lucia Hill, a small, rocky hill which rises in the centre of the city, is to experience an inexhaustible source of pleasure. From there, the view is truly impressive and unique.) Now it is time for me to get a bit deep and serious. I imagine that back then, the view was immaculate like Darwin stated, but now I can't help but feel it is somewhat spoilt, not by the landscape, but by the smog. Santiago is a city known for smog, and I can see why. I underestimated it before coming to the country, but whenever you take a look at the beautiful backdrop of the Andes, you can't help but feel slightly disappointed that it is permanently shrouded by a strong layer of the poison. To some, it may add a shroud of mystery to the mountainous scenery, but in reality, it is a reflection of the damage heavy industry is doing to the natural parts of our world.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this, and has helped you to feel as if you experienced this awesome tour with me!
If you want to see more pictures from the day, click on the photo gallery at the top of the page, and you'll be able to see almost everything I saw everything I could take a picture of that is)!
The History
Moving on from the view, let me get into the history! What shocked me most when I started looking it up online was that I found that the hill is a remnant of a volcano from over 15 million years ago, so I can technically now say I have been to a volcano, even if I was unaware of it at the time!
So, first off, just a bit of background information about Santa Lucia. Originally, the hill was known as Huelén (Curse) when Pedro de Valdivía, the conqueror of Chile, founded Santiago in 1541, because it was seen as an annoyance and an imperfection in the landscape that seemed to have risen out of nowhere, and served no purpose in terms of being an asset to the city. However, after the conquest of Chile, Valdivía decided he would make some use of it and converted it into a popular plot for mass vegetation due to its position and the frequent ideal weather for growth present in the country. Furthermore, it was used as a stronghold, to defend the city from attack by the Indians trying to reclaim their land. The Indians were angry when they discovered the greedy intentions of the Spanish after the conquerors forced the native settlers to work in mines in the nearby city of Valparaíso after it was rumoured that they may contain gold!
For centuries it continued being known as Huelén, despite its minor role in the battle against the Indians. However, in 1816, the Brigadier of the Royal Engineers, Manuel Olaguer Feliú began to draw on Santa Lucia hill, and later build two stone forts, one on the north side and the other on the south of the hill, on which to put between 8 and 12 canons in the instance of an attack. Furthermore, he constructed a small building to be used both as an ammunition depot, and a shelter for the troops who defended the city, known as the garrison.
Another use that was found for the hill at this point was as a cemetery. It served as the burial place for dissidents, meaning those who didn't follow the Roman-Catholic faith or who were deemed unworthy of a respected burial. This was only for a short time however, as the remains were moved to the General Cemetary of Santiago, which then became a burial ground for all, and not just the 'unworthy'.
It was later in 1872 when the hill started to become seen as something other than a curse, when plans were drawn up for 150 prisoners to construct paths, walkways and small squares for public use. This was because of Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna, a Chilean politician who sought an urban remodelling of the city of Santiago, and whose plans included turning El Cerro Santa Lucia into a place which the public could take pleasure in. This included plans for a chapel which still remains near the top of the hill.
My Favourite Features
Now let me talk in a bit more detail about the 2 features I found to be my favourite on Santa Lucia.
When you first enter, the main key feature you see is the public park, at a slightly lower point on the hill. This wasn't a hotspot for the couples, but for families looking for a great day out, or simply couples looking to relax. What amazed me about this part was the huge fountain on the further side. Fantastic marble staircases led up into a huge white and gold archway which formed the perimeter of the fountain! It was beautiful! On top of the fountain itself rested a small statue of the greek-god Neptune. You can tell that back in the 1870s when Mackenna planned the urban remodelling of the hill with trusted architects, they must have planned and worked tirelessly to create this masterpiece! The area is so tranquil, that on descending the hill, I stopped for about 10 minutes on a bench directly opposite the fountain to take in the serene atmosphere. For me, this was the highlight of Santa Lucia, which I recommend for all to see.
Another curious feature of this part of the hill, were 2 lone totem-like structures that I am yet to understand. I couldn't find any information as to their purpose, or as to who created them. They could be there simply as a photo opportunity for tourists, which I personally doubt due to their immaculate craftsmaship, they may be a result of Mackenna's plan to improve the area, or they may have been put there by settlers or indigenous people from centuries ago. I choose to believe the latter. It may even be that no one knows what they are, but with so few sources it is difficult to say for definite.
Another interesting feature was the Jardín de Darwin (Darwin's Garden) located at the top of the hill. It was named after the popular naturalist when he came to visit Santa Lucia on the 17th August 1834. A small plaque is in place to commemorate his visit, on which is written his thoughts on the hill. It states, "Una inagotable fuente de placer es escalar el Cerro Santa Lucia, una pequeña colina rocosa que se levanta en el centro de la ciudad. Desde allí las vista es verdaderamente impresionante y única." (To climb Santa Lucia Hill, a small, rocky hill which rises in the centre of the city, is to experience an inexhaustible source of pleasure. From there, the view is truly impressive and unique.) Now it is time for me to get a bit deep and serious. I imagine that back then, the view was immaculate like Darwin stated, but now I can't help but feel it is somewhat spoilt, not by the landscape, but by the smog. Santiago is a city known for smog, and I can see why. I underestimated it before coming to the country, but whenever you take a look at the beautiful backdrop of the Andes, you can't help but feel slightly disappointed that it is permanently shrouded by a strong layer of the poison. To some, it may add a shroud of mystery to the mountainous scenery, but in reality, it is a reflection of the damage heavy industry is doing to the natural parts of our world.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this, and has helped you to feel as if you experienced this awesome tour with me!
If you want to see more pictures from the day, click on the photo gallery at the top of the page, and you'll be able to see almost everything I saw everything I could take a picture of that is)!