Pichilemu
Encyclopedia
Pichilemu originally known as Pichilemo, is a beach resort city and commune in central Chile
, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province
. It is located southwest of Santiago
, the capital of Chile, and comprises an urban center and twenty-three villages, such as Ciruelos
, Cáhuil
, and Espinillo. Pichilemu had approximately 14,302 residents as of 2010.
Pichilemu was founded by the inheritors of Lauriano Gaete and Ninfa Vargas in late 1891, and was established as an "autonomous commune" on December 22, 1891, by decree of President Jorge Montt
and Interior Minister Manuel José Irarrázabal. The Pichilemu area was first populated by the indigenous Promaucaes
. It was conceived as a beach resort for upper-class Chileans
by Agustín Ross Edwards, a Chilean politician and member of the Ross Edwards family
. Pichilemu is home to five historic monuments of Chile
(Agustín Ross Cultural Centre
, Agustín Ross Park
, Pichilemu railway station
, El Árbol tunnel, and Caballo de Agua), and part of the city was declared a Zona Típica ("Traditional Area" or "Heritage Site") by the National Monuments Council
, in 2004.
The city is part of District No. 35 and is in the ninth senatorial constituency of O'Higgins Region
electoral division. Pichilemu is home to the main beach in O'Higgins Region, and is a tourist destination for surfing
, windsurfing and funboarding.
Tourism is the main industry of the city, but forestry and handicrafts are also important. Pichilemu has many expansive dark sand beaches. Several surf championships take place in the city each year at Punta de Lobos
, which according to Fodor's
is "widely considered the best surfing in South America year-round."
, a pre-Columbian tribal group, until the Spanish conquest of Chile
. They were hunter-gatherer
s and fishermen
who lived primarily along the Cachapoal
and Maule
rivers. The remaining Promaucaes were assimilated into Chilean society through a process of hispanicization
and mestization
after the conquest of Chile
.
Aureliano Oyarzún
, professor of pathology
at University of Chile, investigated pre-Ceramic midden
s from Pichilemu and Cahuil
. His book Crónicas de Pichilemu–Cáhuil (Chronicles of Pichilemu–Cáhuil) was published posthumously, in 1957. Tomás Guevara published two volumes of Historia de Chile, Chile Prehispánico (History of Chile, Pre-Hispanic Chile) in 1929, which discusses the indigenous
center of Apalta
, the Pichilemu middens, the Malloa petroglyphs, a stone cup from Nancagua
, and pottery finds in Peralillo
.
José Toribio Medina
(1852–1930), who was a writer and historiographer, spent most of his life in Colchagua Province
, and completed his first archeological investigations in Pichilemu. In 1908, he published Los Restos Indígenas de Pichilemu
(The Indigenous Remains of Pichilemu), in which he stated that the Indians that were inhabiting Pichilemu when the Spaniards arrived at Chile were Promaucaes, part of the Topocalma encomienda, given on January 24, 1544, by Pedro de Valdivia
to Juan Gómez de Almagro, therefore establishing Pichilemu.
During the colonial and Republican periods, agriculture
was promoted by the government. Many Chilean hacienda
s (estates) were successful during this time, including the Pichileminian Hacienda San Antonio de Petrel. Part of the land where San Antonio de Petrel was created was given by the Captaincy General of Chile to Bartolomé de Rojas y Puebla in 1611, who later acquired more lands in order to establish it. San Antonio de Petrel produced leather
, jerky
, soles, tallow
, and cordovan, as well as other products which would later be exported to Peru, or sold in Santiago
and Valparaíso
. San Antonio de Petrel was bordered by properties of Lauriano Gaete and Ninfa Vargas, and Pedro Pavez Polanco.
The area around Pichilemu was very densely populated, especially in Cáhuil
, where there are salt deposits that were exploited by natives. Pichilemu has had censuses taken since the 17th century.
In 1872, President of Chile
Aníbal Pinto
commissioned the corvette
captain Francisco Vidal Gormaz
to perform a survey of the coast between Tumán Creek and Boca del Mataquito. He concluded that Pichilemu was the best place to construct a ferry. The family of Daniel Ortúzar, inheritors of the hacienda San Antonio de Petrel, constructed a dock in 1875, which served as a fishing port for a few years, and would be decreed as a "minor dock" by President José Manuel Balmaceda
in 1887. Homes were built along the dock on what currently is the Daniel Ortúzar Avenue (Avenida Daniel Ortúzar). The name Pichilemu comes from the Mapudungún
words pichi (little) and lemu (forest).
During the Chilean Civil War
of 1891, Daniel Ortúzar and the priest of Alcones
were transferred as prisoners from Pichilemu to Valparaíso
via the dock, which was later burned. The dock was later reconstructed and used until 1912, but it never reached "port" status.
The inheritors of Lauriano Gaete and Ninfa Vargas, who were proprietaries of the land which is currently Central Pichilemu, founded the town in late 1891 after conceiving the design of the city with engineer Emilio Nichón. By decree of President Jorge Montt
and his Interior Minister, Manuel José Irarrázabal, the city was officially established as an "autonomous commune" on December 22, 1891. José María Caro Martínez
became the first mayor of the city in 1894, and regularized and improved the design of the city the same year. Caro Martínez held the mayor office until 1905.
Agustín Ross Edwards, a Chilean writer, Member of Parliament
, minister
, and politician, bought a 300 hectares (741.3 acre) tract of land, and named it La Posada, in 1885. At the time, it was merely a set of thick-walled barracks.
Agustín Ross turned Pichilemu into a summer resort town for affluent people from Santiago
. He designed an urban setting that included a park
and a forest of over 10 hectares (24.7 acre). He transformed La Posada into a hotel, named Gran Hotel Pichilemu
, which has since been renamed to Hotel Agustín Ross. He built the Ross Casino
(currently a cultural center), several chalets, terraces, embankments, stone walls, a balcony
facing the beach, and several large homes with building materials and furniture imported from France
and England
. However, Ross was not able to build the dock he had planned for the city. He died in 1926 in Viña del Mar
. Agustín Ross' inheritors donated all of his constructions (streets, avenues, squares, seven hectares of forests, the park in front of the hotel, the perrons, the balcony, and the terraces) to the Municipality of Pichilemu, on the condition that the municipality would hold them for recreation and public access. The Agustín Ross Casino, constructed in 1905, and the Agustín Ross Park
, constructed in 1885, have since become an important part of the city, and have been declared Monumentos Históricos
(Historic Monuments) by the National Monuments Council
.
After the creation of the Cardenal Caro Province
, by decree of General Augusto Pinochet
on October 3, 1979, Pichilemu became its capital. The province is named after the first Chilean Catholic Cardinal, José María Caro Rodríguez, who was born in Pichilemu.
Pichilemu was severely affected by the February 27, 2010, Chile earthquake
and its subsequent tsunami, which provoked massive destruction in the coastal zone. On March 11, 2010, at 11:39:41 (14:39:41 UTC), a magnitude
6.9 earthquake
occurred 15 kilometres (9 mi) northwest of Pichilemu, killing one person.
, in the westernmost area of the O'Higgins Region
, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean
. It is within a three-hour drive of the Andes Mountains. It is near the Cordillera de la Costa (Coastal Mountain Range) which rises to 2000 metres (6,562 ft) in elevation.
The city is bordered by Litueche
to the north, Paredones
to the south, and Marchigüe and Pumanque
to the east. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean
. Pichilemu covers an area of 749.1 square kilometres (289.2 sq mi).
Pichilemu is located close to a geological fault
(Pichilemu Fault), which is according to reports between the city and Vichuquén
at 15 km depth, 40 km in length and 20 km wide. It is not known whether the fault was formed during the March 11, 2010 earthquake
or if it was just reactivated.
Although the majority of the forest areas around Pichilemu are covered with pine
and eucalyptus
plantations, a native forest (now the Municipal Forest) remains. It contains species such as Litres
, Quillayes, Boldo
s, Espinos, and Peumos
.
The city consists of an urban center and 23 rural villages: Alto Ramírez, Barrancas, Cáhuil
, Cardonal de Panilonco
, Ciruelos
, Cóguil, Espinillo
, La Aguada
, La Palmilla, La Villa, La Plaza, Las Comillas, Pueblo de Viudas, Quebrada del Nuevo Reino, Pañul, Rodeíllo
, Tanumé, Petrel
, San Miguel de la Palma, Las Garzas
, and Alto Colorado
.
Nearby bodies of water (apart from the Pacific Ocean) include the Nilahue Estuary, which flows to Cáhuil Lagoon, Petrel Estuary, which flows to Petrel Lagoon, and El Barro, El Bajel, and El Ancho lagoons, the latter of which provides the city with drinking water.
, with winter rains which reach 700 millimetres (27.6 in). The rest of the year is dry, often windy, and sometimes with coastal fog. Occasionally the city receives winds as high as 150 kilometre per hour.
The 2002 census classified 9,459 people (76.3%) as living in an urban area
and 2,933 people (23.7%) as living in a rural area, with 6,440 men (52.0%) and 5,952 women (48.0%). According to the CASEN 2002 census, 544 inhabitants (4.4%) of the population live in extreme poverty compared to the average in the greater O'Higgins Region
of 4.5%, and 1,946 inhabitants (15.7%) live in mild poverty, compared to the regional average of 16.1%.
The National Statistics Institute of Chile
has estimated that, as of 2010, there are 14,302 inhabitants in the city; classifying a 78.96% of them as living in an urban area
and a 21.04% as living in a rural area, with 7,499 men (52.4%) and 6,803 women (47.5%); there is an estimated population density of 19.09 per square mile.
, Nancagua
, Chépica
, Santa Cruz
, Pumanque
, Palmilla
, Peralillo
, Navidad
, Lolol
, Litueche
, La Estrella
, Marchihue
, and Paredones
, is part of Electoral District No. 35 and belongs to the 9th Senatorial Constituency (O'Higgins) of the electoral divisions of Chile.
Pichilemu is governed by the mayor (alcalde), who manages the executive function. The City Council
(concejo municipal) manages the legislative function. The mayors and the councilors are elected popularly every four years, with possibility of re-election. The last elected mayor was Marcelo Cabrera; he was elected in 2008 with 42.08 percent of the vote. He served from May to August 2009, when he was permanently banned from holding public office after being convicted for adulterating tickets. The municipal council
elected Roberto Córdova
as new mayor on September 9, 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, Pichilemu had seven mayors, after Jorge Vargas González
was removed from the office for committing the crime of bribery
; he was mayor for over 10 years, from 1996 to 2007. Vargas was succeeded by Victor Rojas, who was later accused of the same crime and eventually removed from the office too. The current councillors of Pichilemu are Aldo Polanco Contreras, Andrea Aranda Escudero
, Viviana Parraguez Ulloa
, Patricio Morales Acevedo
, Juan Cornejo Vargas, and Marta Urzúa Púa
. Their term began in December 2008 (Morales Acevedo's began on September 1, 2009), and will last until 2012.
The Pichilemu Police, known in Spanish as Carabineros de Pichilemu, and officially Tercera Comisaría de Carabineros de Pichilemu, is the police force of Pichilemu. It is commanded by Tomás Molina Meza. The police station is located in front of the former Pichilemu post office building
, in Daniel Ortúzar avenue.
and Ciruelos
. Forestry, mainly pine and eucalyptus, is another major industry. The area is also known for handicrafts. Although fishing
is not very important to O'Higgins Region, due to unsuitable coastlines, it is common in Pichilemu, Bucalemu
, and Navidad
.
Pichilemu has a clay deposit in the Pañul area. According to archaeological investigations, pottery was first manufactured in the area around 300 BCE
. It is still a stalwart today — Ciruelos and El Copao are well-known for the pottery created there.
of Chile, by decree No. 1097 on December 22, 2004.
The city is home to five other National Monuments: Ross Park
, Ross Casino, El Árbol Tunnel, Pichilemu railway station
, and Caballo de Agua.
. It originally housed the first mail and telegraph service and a large store. The first casino in Chile was opened in this building on January 20, 1906. It operated until 1932, when the Viña del Mar
Casino was opened.
The building was renovated and reopened in 2009 as a cultural arts center. It currently houses several gallery spaces and the public library. During its restoration, workers found many historical artifacts, including a copy of Las Últimas Noticias
from February 1941 when Ross Casino served as a hotel; an American telephone battery dating from the period of 1909 to 1915; and a tile from the casino's ceiling signed by workers during the building's construction in 1914.
The park is located on Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of Ross Casino (34°23′11.41"S 72°00′37.35"W). The hotel was originally named Gran Hotel Pichilemu (Great Hotel Pichilemu). The once grand Ross Hotel was constructed at the same time, and is one of the oldest hotels in Chile. Although it is still partially open to guests, it is in a state of disrepair.
The park boasts 100-year-old native Chilean palms (Phoenix canariensis) and many green spaces. It was recently restored, and is now a popular walking destination.
Both the park and the former casino were named National Monuments on February 25, 1988.
Ex Estación de Ferrocarriles, the old railway station, is a wooden building constructed around 1925. It is in front of Petrel Lagoon, near Daniel Ortúzar Avenue (34°23′08.42"S 72°00′09.30"W). It remained in operation until the 1990s, and became a National Monument on September 16, 1994. It has since become an arts and culture center and tourism information office. It exhibits decorative and practical objects from the 1920s, and features many old clothes.
–Pichilemu section was constructed between 1869 and 1926. Passenger services operated on the line until 1986 and freight services were operational until 1995. In 2006, the Peralillo
–Pichilemu section was removed completely.
Pichilemu has many places of interest to tourists. The Bosque Municipal (Municipal Forest) was donated by the Ross family in 1935. The main access to the forest is in front of Ross Casino, near Paseo el Sol; or by a road near the Colegio Preciosa Sangre
. The forest has a footpath surrounded by palms, pine
s, and many other varieties of trees.
Conchal Indígena (Indigenous Midden) is an archaeological site
of pre-Hispanic
times. It is located on the site of an ancient fishing village 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from Punta de Lobos
and 0.3 kilometre (0.186411820994942 mi) south of Los Curas Lagoon. Laguna Los Curas (Los Curas Lagoon) is a natural area used for eco-tourist activities such as fishing located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Pichilemu. Another lagoon, the Laguna del Perro (The Dog's Lagoon) is located 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) south of Pichilemu. It is used for recreational activities.
Los Navegantes
is a neighborhood in Pichilemu, approximately 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) in size, which was founded in 1997. After five years of construction, around 30 houses were built. It has a small sports court where residents can play football, basketball, and tennis.
Laguna El Alto (El Alto Lagoon) is a small, rain-fed lagoon located at Chorrillos Beach that is often used for camping and picnics. The lagoon is an hour and a half drive from Pichilemu, traveling to the north by Chorrillos beach. Poza del Encanto is a lagoon located 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Pichilemu. It is home to a large variety of native fauna. The Estero Nilahue (Nilahue Lagoon) is located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Pichilemu. It has several beaches, including El Bronce, El Maquí, and Laguna El Vado.
St. Andrew Church is located in Ciruelos
, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from Pichilemu. It was constructed in 1779, and its altar was built in the 1940s. It has a harmonium
, confessional boxes, and ancient images of saints. Its original image of St. Andrew was made of papier mache. The old parish was created by Archbishop Rafael Valentín Valdivieso
in 1864. Cardinal José María Caro
was baptized there. The feast day of St. Andrew is celebrated every November 30 at the church.
The Museo del Niño Rural (the Rural Kid Museum) was created as an initiative of teacher Carlos Leyton and his students. It is a modern building that utilises traditional architecture. Three rooms contain a collection of stone tools, arrowheads, and clay tools made by the indigenous people of the region. Also on display are domestic tools from early colonists.
El Copao is a hamlet located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of Pichilemu. Its main industry is domestic pottery production, using clay as a raw material. Pañul is a settlement located 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) from Pichilemu. Its name in Mapudungun
means "medicinal herb." Pañul produces pottery made with locally obtained clay. Cáhuil
is a small settlement located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) south of Pichilemu. Its name in Mapudungun means "parrot place". Cahuil lagoon is used for fishing, swimming, and kayaking; kiteboarding lessons are offered on the lagoon. The Cáhuil Bridge
is open to motor traffic, and has a view of the Cahuil zone. The bridge provides access to Curicó
, Lolol
, Bucalemu
, and other nearby places.
The northernmost of the beaches is Playa Las Terrazas or Playa Principal (The Terraces Beach or Main Beach), which is in front of Ross Park. It is popular for surfing. Near the beach and at Ross Park, there are balustrades and long stairs dating from the early 1900s. There is a balcony
over the rocks at the southern end of the beach. It is the busiest during the summer months. Several surf schools, such as La Ola Perfecta, and Lobos del Pacífico, are located nearby, as is the fish market at Fishermen Creek.
Located south of the town and around the other side of the Puntilla, Playa Infiernillo (Little Hell Beach) is rocky and has tide-pools. This area is used for fishing. South of Infiernillo is Playa Hermosa (Beautiful Beach), which is popular for walking and fishing.
Further south, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Pichilemu, Punta de Lobos
features a beach sheltered from the southern winds. It is an increasingly popular destination for tourists and surfers. Several surf contests are held there, including an international big-wave contest during the Chilean fall. The size of waves varies throughout the year. Large swells in fall and winter can reach heights of up to 15 metres (49.2 ft). It is widely considered one of the best beaches for surfing worldwide.
is a tourist attraction, particularly at Punta de Lobos. According to Fodor's
travel guide,
Every October and December, an International Championship of Surf is held at La Puntilla Beach. Punta de Lobos
hosts the Campeonato Nacional de Surf (National Surfing Championship) every summer.
. It is directed by Félix Calderón. There is an online newspaper in Spanish called Pichilemu News
. It is edited by Washington Saldías
, former councillor of the city. The magazine Hola Vecino circulated between 2007 and 2008 in most of O'Higgins Region and was directed by Francisco Espejo.
Radio services come from Radio Entre Olas, Radio Atardecer
, Radio Somos Pichilemu (directed by former Mayor Jorge Vargas González and his wife and current Councillor Andrea Aranda), Radio Isla, and Radio Corporación. A television channel, Canal 3 Pichilemu
, also broadcasts in the area.
establishments, although it has many primary
and secondary
schools, including: Charly's School
, a primary and secondary school in El Llano; Escuela Digna Camilo Aguilar
(Digna Camilo Aguilar School), a primary school near Charly's School; Colegio Libertadores (Liberators School), a primary school in Infiernillo; Colegio Preciosa Sangre
(Precious Blood School), a primary and secondary school near El Llano; Colegio Divino Maestro (Divine Master School), a primary school near Pueblo de Viudas; and Escuela Pueblo de Viudas (Pueblo de Viudas School), a primary school in Pueblo de Viudas.
Other schools include the Liceo Agustín Ross Edwards (Agustín Ross Edwards High School), a secondary school
in El Llano, near Escuela Digna Camilo Aguilar and Charly's School, and Jardín Amanecer (Dawn Garden), a kindergarten school in El Llano.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins . The capital of Cardenal Caro is Pichilemu....
. It is located southwest of Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, the capital of Chile, and comprises an urban center and twenty-three villages, such as Ciruelos
Ciruelos
Ciruelos is a Chilean village located southeast of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province. As of 1899, it had very few inhabitants, a free school, and a post office.-References:...
, Cáhuil
Cáhuil
Cáhuil is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oysters, and choros...
, and Espinillo. Pichilemu had approximately 14,302 residents as of 2010.
Pichilemu was founded by the inheritors of Lauriano Gaete and Ninfa Vargas in late 1891, and was established as an "autonomous commune" on December 22, 1891, by decree of President Jorge Montt
Jorge Montt
Jorge Montt Álvarez was vice-admiral of the Chilean Navy and president of Chile from 1891 to 1896.-Early life:...
and Interior Minister Manuel José Irarrázabal. The Pichilemu area was first populated by the indigenous Promaucaes
Promaucaes
Promaucaes, Promaucas or Purumaucas ; pre-Columbian Mapuche tribal group that lived in the present territory of Chile, south of the Maipo River basin of Santiago, Chile and the Itata River,...
. It was conceived as a beach resort for upper-class Chileans
Chilean people
Chilean people, or simply Chileans, are the native citizens and long-term immigrants of Chile. Chileans are mainly of Spanish and Amerindian descent, with small but significant traces of 19th and 20th century European immigrant origin...
by Agustín Ross Edwards, a Chilean politician and member of the Ross Edwards family
Edwards family
The Edwards family of Chile is of English and Welsh origin with Scottish ancestry, and they became financially and politically influential during the 19th century...
. Pichilemu is home to five historic monuments of Chile
National Monuments of Chile
The National Monuments of Chile , also abbreviated MN, are the constructions, elements and places that form part of the country's cultural heritage, and they are protected by law...
(Agustín Ross Cultural Centre
Agustín Ross Cultural Centre
The Agustín Ross Cultural Center , formerly known as the Ross Casino , is the cultural center of the city of Pichilemu in O'Higgins Region, Chile. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909 at the request of politician Agustín Ross Edwards...
, Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile.The original park contains 100-year-old native Chilean palms and many green spaces...
, Pichilemu railway station
Pichilemu railway station
Pichilemu railway station was a railway station in Pichilemu. It is a wood construction dated circa 1925, located in front of the Petrel Lake, near Daniel Ortúzar Avenue . It remained in operation until the 1990s, and became a National Monument on September 16, 1994. It has since become an arts...
, El Árbol tunnel, and Caballo de Agua), and part of the city was declared a Zona Típica ("Traditional Area" or "Heritage Site") by the National Monuments Council
National Monuments Council
The National Monuments Council is a Chilean government agency dedicated to the preservation and upkeep of special natural and cultural sites in Chile. The National Monuments Council was created in 1925 by law Nº 17.288.-External links:*...
, in 2004.
The city is part of District No. 35 and is in the ninth senatorial constituency of O'Higgins Region
O'Higgins Region
The VI O'Higgins Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers....
electoral division. Pichilemu is home to the main beach in O'Higgins Region, and is a tourist destination for surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, windsurfing and funboarding.
Tourism is the main industry of the city, but forestry and handicrafts are also important. Pichilemu has many expansive dark sand beaches. Several surf championships take place in the city each year at Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos is a Chilean beach located south of Pichilemu and southwest of Rancagua, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region....
, which according to Fodor's
Fodor's
Fodor's is the world's largest publisher of English language travel and tourism information, and the first relatively professional producer of travel guidebooks...
is "widely considered the best surfing in South America year-round."
History
Pichilemu was inhabited by PromaucaesPromaucaes
Promaucaes, Promaucas or Purumaucas ; pre-Columbian Mapuche tribal group that lived in the present territory of Chile, south of the Maipo River basin of Santiago, Chile and the Itata River,...
, a pre-Columbian tribal group, until the Spanish conquest of Chile
Conquest of Chile
The Conquest of Chile is a period in Chilean historiography that starts with the arrival of Pedro de Valdivia to Chile in 1541 and ends with the death of Martín García Óñez de Loyola, in the Battle of Curalaba in 1598 or alternatively with the Destruction of the Seven Cities. This was the period...
. They were hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s and fishermen
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
who lived primarily along the Cachapoal
Cachapoal River
Cachapoal River is tibutary river of the Rapel River in Chile located in the O'Higgins Region. The river gives its name to the Cachapoal Province.- Source :*...
and Maule
Maule river
The Maule river is one of the most important rivers of Chile and is inextricably linked to this country's pre-Hispanic times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern history, agriculture , culture , religion, economy and politics...
rivers. The remaining Promaucaes were assimilated into Chilean society through a process of hispanicization
Hispanicization
Hispanicisation or Hispanisation refers to the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by Hispanic culture or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-Hispanic becomes Hispanic...
and mestization
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
after the conquest of Chile
Conquest of Chile
The Conquest of Chile is a period in Chilean historiography that starts with the arrival of Pedro de Valdivia to Chile in 1541 and ends with the death of Martín García Óñez de Loyola, in the Battle of Curalaba in 1598 or alternatively with the Destruction of the Seven Cities. This was the period...
.
Aureliano Oyarzún
Aureliano Oyarzún
Aureliano Oyarzún Navarro was a Chilean physician, who succeeded Francisco Puelma Tupper as professor of pathology in the medical school of University of Chile in 1891 because of the Chilean Civil War of 1891, as Puelma was a supporter of President José Manuel Balmaceda.His office was later taken...
, professor of pathology
Anatomical pathology
Anatomical pathology or Anatomic pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross, microscopic, chemical, immunologic and molecular examination of organs, tissues, and whole bodies...
at University of Chile, investigated pre-Ceramic midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s from Pichilemu and Cahuil
Cáhuil
Cáhuil is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oysters, and choros...
. His book Crónicas de Pichilemu–Cáhuil (Chronicles of Pichilemu–Cáhuil) was published posthumously, in 1957. Tomás Guevara published two volumes of Historia de Chile, Chile Prehispánico (History of Chile, Pre-Hispanic Chile) in 1929, which discusses the indigenous
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
center of Apalta
Apalta
Apalta is a Chilean village, located northwest of Santa Cruz, Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region....
, the Pichilemu middens, the Malloa petroglyphs, a stone cup from Nancagua
Nancagua
Nancagua is a Chilean city and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Nancagua spans an area of and has 15,634 inhabitants . Of these, 9,264 lived in urban areas and 6,370 in rural areas...
, and pottery finds in Peralillo
Peralillo
Peralillo is a Chilean town and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Peralillo spans an area of and has 9,729 inhabitants . Of these, 5,882 lived in urban areas and 3,847 in rural areas...
.
José Toribio Medina
José Toribio Medina
José Toribio Medina Zavala was a Chilean bibliographer, prolific writer, and historian. He was of Basque descent.-Biography:...
(1852–1930), who was a writer and historiographer, spent most of his life in Colchagua Province
Colchagua Province
Colchagua Province is one of three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins . Its capital is San Fernando. It is bordered on the north by Cachapoal Province, on the east by the Argentine Republic, on the south by Curicó Province, and on the west by Cardenal Caro Province.-Geography and...
, and completed his first archeological investigations in Pichilemu. In 1908, he published Los Restos Indígenas de Pichilemu
Los Restos Indígenas de Pichilemu
Los Restos Indígenas de Pichilemu was a 1908 book published by Chilean historiographer José Toribio Medina.Medina presents a report of his examination to indigenous rests found in a Pichilemu grotto by Agustín Ross and Evaristo Merino in 1908...
(The Indigenous Remains of Pichilemu), in which he stated that the Indians that were inhabiting Pichilemu when the Spaniards arrived at Chile were Promaucaes, part of the Topocalma encomienda, given on January 24, 1544, by Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, where he served as lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro in Peru, acting as his second in command...
to Juan Gómez de Almagro, therefore establishing Pichilemu.
During the colonial and Republican periods, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
was promoted by the government. Many Chilean hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
s (estates) were successful during this time, including the Pichileminian Hacienda San Antonio de Petrel. Part of the land where San Antonio de Petrel was created was given by the Captaincy General of Chile to Bartolomé de Rojas y Puebla in 1611, who later acquired more lands in order to establish it. San Antonio de Petrel produced leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, jerky
Jerky (food)
Jerky is lean meat that has been trimmed of fat, cut into strips, and then been dried to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt, to prevent bacteria from developing on the meat before sufficient moisture has been removed. The word "jerky" is a bastardization of the...
, soles, tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
, and cordovan, as well as other products which would later be exported to Peru, or sold in Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
and Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. San Antonio de Petrel was bordered by properties of Lauriano Gaete and Ninfa Vargas, and Pedro Pavez Polanco.
The area around Pichilemu was very densely populated, especially in Cáhuil
Cáhuil
Cáhuil is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oysters, and choros...
, where there are salt deposits that were exploited by natives. Pichilemu has had censuses taken since the 17th century.
In 1872, President of Chile
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
Aníbal Pinto
Aníbal Pinto
Aníbal Pinto Garmendia was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile between 1876 and 1881.-Early life:...
commissioned the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
captain Francisco Vidal Gormaz
Francisco Vidal Gormaz
Francisco Vidal Gormaz was a Chilean naval officer and hydrographer who explored the coasts of Chile including some river systems and lakes. During the 1850s he explored and surveyed several times Maullín River with Francisco Hudson...
to perform a survey of the coast between Tumán Creek and Boca del Mataquito. He concluded that Pichilemu was the best place to construct a ferry. The family of Daniel Ortúzar, inheritors of the hacienda San Antonio de Petrel, constructed a dock in 1875, which served as a fishing port for a few years, and would be decreed as a "minor dock" by President José Manuel Balmaceda
José Manuel Balmaceda
José Manuel Emiliano Balmaceda Fernández was the 11th President of Chile from September 18, 1886 to August 29, 1891. Balmaceda was part of the Castilian-Basque aristocracy in Chile...
in 1887. Homes were built along the dock on what currently is the Daniel Ortúzar Avenue (Avenida Daniel Ortúzar). The name Pichilemu comes from the Mapudungún
Mapudungun
The Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
words pichi (little) and lemu (forest).
During the Chilean Civil War
Chilean Civil War
The Chilean Civil War of 1891 was an armed conflict between forces supporting Congress and forces supporting the sitting President, José Manuel Balmaceda. The war saw a confrontation between the Chilean Army and the Chilean Navy, which had sided with the president and the congress, respectively...
of 1891, Daniel Ortúzar and the priest of Alcones
Alcones
Alcones, formerly known as Los Halcones is a Chilean village, currently part of Marchihue, Cardenal Caro Province.It is located south of the village of Sauce; north of Reto; west of Pichilemu; and southeast of Palmilla....
were transferred as prisoners from Pichilemu to Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
via the dock, which was later burned. The dock was later reconstructed and used until 1912, but it never reached "port" status.
The inheritors of Lauriano Gaete and Ninfa Vargas, who were proprietaries of the land which is currently Central Pichilemu, founded the town in late 1891 after conceiving the design of the city with engineer Emilio Nichón. By decree of President Jorge Montt
Jorge Montt
Jorge Montt Álvarez was vice-admiral of the Chilean Navy and president of Chile from 1891 to 1896.-Early life:...
and his Interior Minister, Manuel José Irarrázabal, the city was officially established as an "autonomous commune" on December 22, 1891. José María Caro Martínez
José María Caro Martínez
José María Caro Martínez was a Chilean politician, Mayor of Pichilemu from 1894 until 1905 and is mostly known for being the father of José María Caro Rodríguez, first Chilean Cardinal of the Catholic Church.- References :...
became the first mayor of the city in 1894, and regularized and improved the design of the city the same year. Caro Martínez held the mayor office until 1905.
Agustín Ross Edwards, a Chilean writer, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
, and politician, bought a 300 hectares (741.3 acre) tract of land, and named it La Posada, in 1885. At the time, it was merely a set of thick-walled barracks.
Agustín Ross turned Pichilemu into a summer resort town for affluent people from Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
. He designed an urban setting that included a park
Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile.The original park contains 100-year-old native Chilean palms and many green spaces...
and a forest of over 10 hectares (24.7 acre). He transformed La Posada into a hotel, named Gran Hotel Pichilemu
Agustín Ross Hotel
The Agustín Ross Park is an old hotel in the Chilean city of Pichilemu. It was created by Agustín Ross Edwards in 1885, and remodeled in December 1987....
, which has since been renamed to Hotel Agustín Ross. He built the Ross Casino
Agustín Ross Cultural Centre
The Agustín Ross Cultural Center , formerly known as the Ross Casino , is the cultural center of the city of Pichilemu in O'Higgins Region, Chile. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909 at the request of politician Agustín Ross Edwards...
(currently a cultural center), several chalets, terraces, embankments, stone walls, a balcony
Agustín Ross Balcony
The Ross Balcony is a balcony constructed by Agustín Ross Edwards in 1910. It is located over rocks in the southern part of the beach of Pichilemu, in the Paseo de la Juventud . The waves hit the balcony until the 1960 Valdivia earthquake....
facing the beach, and several large homes with building materials and furniture imported from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. However, Ross was not able to build the dock he had planned for the city. He died in 1926 in Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
. Agustín Ross' inheritors donated all of his constructions (streets, avenues, squares, seven hectares of forests, the park in front of the hotel, the perrons, the balcony, and the terraces) to the Municipality of Pichilemu, on the condition that the municipality would hold them for recreation and public access. The Agustín Ross Casino, constructed in 1905, and the Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile.The original park contains 100-year-old native Chilean palms and many green spaces...
, constructed in 1885, have since become an important part of the city, and have been declared Monumentos Históricos
National Monuments of Chile
The National Monuments of Chile , also abbreviated MN, are the constructions, elements and places that form part of the country's cultural heritage, and they are protected by law...
(Historic Monuments) by the National Monuments Council
National Monuments Council
The National Monuments Council is a Chilean government agency dedicated to the preservation and upkeep of special natural and cultural sites in Chile. The National Monuments Council was created in 1925 by law Nº 17.288.-External links:*...
.
After the creation of the Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins . The capital of Cardenal Caro is Pichilemu....
, by decree of General Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
on October 3, 1979, Pichilemu became its capital. The province is named after the first Chilean Catholic Cardinal, José María Caro Rodríguez, who was born in Pichilemu.
Pichilemu was severely affected by the February 27, 2010, Chile earthquake
2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
and its subsequent tsunami, which provoked massive destruction in the coastal zone. On March 11, 2010, at 11:39:41 (14:39:41 UTC), a magnitude
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
6.9 earthquake
2010 Pichilemu earthquake
The 2010 Pichilemu earthquake , also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquake, was a 6.9 MW earthquake that struck Chile's O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010 at 11:39 local time...
occurred 15 kilometres (9 mi) northwest of Pichilemu, killing one person.
Geography
Pichilemu is located 126 kilometres (78.3 mi) west of San FernandoSan Fernando, Chile
San Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, in central Chile, and the second most populated urban center of the O'Higgins Region. Located close to the Tinguiririca River in a fertile valley, San Fernando sits 1,112 feet above sea level...
, in the westernmost area of the O'Higgins Region
O'Higgins Region
The VI O'Higgins Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers....
, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It is within a three-hour drive of the Andes Mountains. It is near the Cordillera de la Costa (Coastal Mountain Range) which rises to 2000 metres (6,562 ft) in elevation.
The city is bordered by Litueche
Litueche
Litueche is a Chilean town and commune in Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Litueche spans an area of and has 5,526 inhabitants . Of these, 2,479 lived in urban areas and 3,047 in rural areas...
to the north, Paredones
Paredones
Paredones is a Chilean town and commune in Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Paredones spans an area of and has 6,695 inhabitants . Of these, 2,195 lived in urban areas and 4,500 in rural areas...
to the south, and Marchigüe and Pumanque
Pumanque
Pumanque is a Chilean commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Pumanque spans an area of and has 3,442 inhabitants , making the commune an entirely rural area...
to the east. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Pichilemu covers an area of 749.1 square kilometres (289.2 sq mi).
Pichilemu is located close to a geological fault
Pichilemu Fault
The Pichilemu Fault , also referred to as the Pichilemu-Vichuquén Fault , is a Chilean geological fault, located in O'Higgins Region, some kilometers away from Pichilemu, at a depth of . The fault is long and wide....
(Pichilemu Fault), which is according to reports between the city and Vichuquén
Vichuquén
Vichuquén is a commune in the Curicó Province of Chile's Maule Region.- History :The Spanish arrived along the Lico rivers in 1585, where settlements of the Mapuche and Inca already existed. In 1865, Vichuquén founded its capital of the village of the same name....
at 15 km depth, 40 km in length and 20 km wide. It is not known whether the fault was formed during the March 11, 2010 earthquake
2010 Pichilemu earthquake
The 2010 Pichilemu earthquake , also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquake, was a 6.9 MW earthquake that struck Chile's O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010 at 11:39 local time...
or if it was just reactivated.
Although the majority of the forest areas around Pichilemu are covered with pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
plantations, a native forest (now the Municipal Forest) remains. It contains species such as Litres
Lithraea caustica
Lithraea caustica is a species of flowering plants in the soapberry family Anacardiaceae. This plant occurs in central Chile; an example occurrence is in the area of La Campana National Park and Cerro La Campana...
, Quillayes, Boldo
Boldo
Peumus boldus, the only species in the genus Peumus, is commonly known as Boldo . This tree of the family Monimiaceae is natively endemic to the central region of Chile, occurring from 33° to 40° southern latitude...
s, Espinos, and Peumos
Cryptocarya alba
Cryptocarya alba, the Peumo, is an evergreen tree that grows in Chile and Argentina from 33 to 40° southern latitude. It can live both in wet and as in dry conditions. Its distribution can reach up to 1500 meters above sea level. It measures up to 20 meters height and one meter diameter, with...
.
The city consists of an urban center and 23 rural villages: Alto Ramírez, Barrancas, Cáhuil
Cáhuil
Cáhuil is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oysters, and choros...
, Cardonal de Panilonco
Cardonal de Panilonco
Cardonal de Panilonco, or just Panilonco is a Chilean village located north of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province....
, Ciruelos
Ciruelos
Ciruelos is a Chilean village located southeast of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province. As of 1899, it had very few inhabitants, a free school, and a post office.-References:...
, Cóguil, Espinillo
Espinillo, Chile
Espinillo is a Chilean village located in Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province. It was heavily damaged by the February 27 2010 and March 11 2010 earthquakes....
, La Aguada
La Aguada, Pichilemu
La Aguada is a Chilean village located north of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province....
, La Palmilla, La Villa, La Plaza, Las Comillas, Pueblo de Viudas, Quebrada del Nuevo Reino, Pañul, Rodeíllo
Rodeíllo
Rodeíllo is a village located 25 kilometers from Pichilemu, in central Chile.The village is known for having a water mill from the 1950s.-References:...
, Tanumé, Petrel
Petrel, Chile
Petrel was a small Chilean village located near San Antonio de Petrel, in Pichilemu. It was located east of Pichilemu....
, San Miguel de la Palma, Las Garzas
Las Garzas
Las Garzas is a village located in Cardenal Caro Province, Chile, near Pichilemu. It was formerly a farm....
, and Alto Colorado
Alto Colorado
Alto Colorado is a Chilean village located northeast of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province....
.
Nearby bodies of water (apart from the Pacific Ocean) include the Nilahue Estuary, which flows to Cáhuil Lagoon, Petrel Estuary, which flows to Petrel Lagoon, and El Barro, El Bajel, and El Ancho lagoons, the latter of which provides the city with drinking water.
Climate
Pichilemu experiences a Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
, with winter rains which reach 700 millimetres (27.6 in). The rest of the year is dry, often windy, and sometimes with coastal fog. Occasionally the city receives winds as high as 150 kilometre per hour.
Demographics
By the 17th century, Pichilemu had 1,468 inhabitants. In 1787, Pichilemu held 1,688 inhabitants, and the population rose to 7,787 inhabitants by 1907. From there onward, the city's population progressively decreased: 7,424 in 1920; 6,929 in 1930; and 6,570 in 1940. In 1952, the city's population increased to 7,150 inhabitants; in 1992, 10,510. As of the 2002 census, 12,392 people resided in the city.The 2002 census classified 9,459 people (76.3%) as living in an urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
and 2,933 people (23.7%) as living in a rural area, with 6,440 men (52.0%) and 5,952 women (48.0%). According to the CASEN 2002 census, 544 inhabitants (4.4%) of the population live in extreme poverty compared to the average in the greater O'Higgins Region
O'Higgins Region
The VI O'Higgins Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers....
of 4.5%, and 1,946 inhabitants (15.7%) live in mild poverty, compared to the regional average of 16.1%.
The National Statistics Institute of Chile
National Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
has estimated that, as of 2010, there are 14,302 inhabitants in the city; classifying a 78.96% of them as living in an urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
and a 21.04% as living in a rural area, with 7,499 men (52.4%) and 6,803 women (47.5%); there is an estimated population density of 19.09 per square mile.
Government and politics
Pichilemu, along with the communes of PlacillaPlacilla
Placilla is a Chilean town and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Placilla spans an area of and has 8,078 inhabitants . Of these, 2,114 lived in urban areas and 5,964 in rural areas...
, Nancagua
Nancagua
Nancagua is a Chilean city and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Nancagua spans an area of and has 15,634 inhabitants . Of these, 9,264 lived in urban areas and 6,370 in rural areas...
, Chépica
Chépica
Chépica is a Chilean town and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Chépica spans an area of and has 13,857 inhabitants . Of these, 6,949 lived in urban areas and 6,908 in rural areas...
, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Chile
Santa Cruz is a Chilean city and commune, located in the Colchagua valley, in the O'Higgins Region, placed in the southern shore of Tinguiririca river, 110 miles from Santiago, Chile's capital city and 27 miles from San Fernando-History:...
, Pumanque
Pumanque
Pumanque is a Chilean commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Pumanque spans an area of and has 3,442 inhabitants , making the commune an entirely rural area...
, Palmilla
Palmilla
Palmilla is a Chilean city and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Palmilla spans an area of and has 11,200 inhabitants . Of these, 2,088 lived in urban areas and 9,112 in rural areas...
, Peralillo
Peralillo
Peralillo is a Chilean town and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Peralillo spans an area of and has 9,729 inhabitants . Of these, 5,882 lived in urban areas and 3,847 in rural areas...
, Navidad
Navidad, Chile
Navidad is a Chilean commune in Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Navidad spans an area of and has 5,422 inhabitants . Of these, 712 lived in urban areas and 4,710 in rural areas...
, Lolol
Lolol
Lolol is a Chilean commune and town in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region. Lolol was founded in 1830.-History:...
, Litueche
Litueche
Litueche is a Chilean town and commune in Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Litueche spans an area of and has 5,526 inhabitants . Of these, 2,479 lived in urban areas and 3,047 in rural areas...
, La Estrella
La Estrella, Chile
La Estrella is a Chilean town and commune in Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, La Estrella spans an area of and has 4,221 inhabitants . Of these, 1,380 lived in urban areas and 2,841 in rural areas...
, Marchihue
Marchihue
Marchihue, also known as Marchigüe, is a Chilean town and commune in the Cardenal Caro Province of Chile's sixth region of O'Higgins.-Demographics:...
, and Paredones
Paredones
Paredones is a Chilean town and commune in Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Paredones spans an area of and has 6,695 inhabitants . Of these, 2,195 lived in urban areas and 4,500 in rural areas...
, is part of Electoral District No. 35 and belongs to the 9th Senatorial Constituency (O'Higgins) of the electoral divisions of Chile.
Pichilemu is governed by the mayor (alcalde), who manages the executive function. The City Council
Pichilemu City Council
The Pichilemu City Council is the legislative body of the City of Pichilemu.-City Council:The City Council consists of seven members, including the Mayor. City council members and the Mayor are chosen by elections every 4 years...
(concejo municipal) manages the legislative function. The mayors and the councilors are elected popularly every four years, with possibility of re-election. The last elected mayor was Marcelo Cabrera; he was elected in 2008 with 42.08 percent of the vote. He served from May to August 2009, when he was permanently banned from holding public office after being convicted for adulterating tickets. The municipal council
Pichilemu City Council
The Pichilemu City Council is the legislative body of the City of Pichilemu.-City Council:The City Council consists of seven members, including the Mayor. City council members and the Mayor are chosen by elections every 4 years...
elected Roberto Córdova
Roberto Córdova
Roberto del Carmen Córdova Carreño is a Chilean politician. Córdova worked as Councillor of Pichilemu between 2000 and December 2008, and again from May until September 2009, when he became mayor of the city....
as new mayor on September 9, 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, Pichilemu had seven mayors, after Jorge Vargas González
Jorge Vargas González
Jorge Fabián Vargas González is a Chilean politician, singer, composer, and the mayor of Pichilemu from 1997 until 2007.- Biography :Jorge Vargas was born on February 8, 1967 in Pichilemu...
was removed from the office for committing the crime of bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
; he was mayor for over 10 years, from 1996 to 2007. Vargas was succeeded by Victor Rojas, who was later accused of the same crime and eventually removed from the office too. The current councillors of Pichilemu are Aldo Polanco Contreras, Andrea Aranda Escudero
Andrea Aranda
Andrea Natalia Aranda Escudero is a Chilean politician. Andrea Aranda is currently one of the Councillors of Pichilemu.Aranda was elected with 491 votes from a total of 7.127 votes.-References:...
, Viviana Parraguez Ulloa
Viviana Parraguez
Viviana Parraguez Ulloa is a Chilean politician, lawyer and surfer. Parraguez is currently one of the Councillors of Pichilemu.-Biography:...
, Patricio Morales Acevedo
Patricio Morales
Patricio Morales Acevedo is a Chilean politician. Patricio Morales is currently one of the Councillors of Pichilemu.Morales was not elected in the 2008 municipal elections. He obtained an 1,52 per centage from a total of 7.127 votes...
, Juan Cornejo Vargas, and Marta Urzúa Púa
Marta Urzúa
Marta Elena Urzúa Púa is a Chilean politician. Urzúa is currently one of the Councillors of Pichilemu.Urzúa was elected on the 2008 municipal elections with a 2.51 per centage from a total of 7.127 votes.- References :...
. Their term began in December 2008 (Morales Acevedo's began on September 1, 2009), and will last until 2012.
The Pichilemu Police, known in Spanish as Carabineros de Pichilemu, and officially Tercera Comisaría de Carabineros de Pichilemu, is the police force of Pichilemu. It is commanded by Tomás Molina Meza. The police station is located in front of the former Pichilemu post office building
Pichilemu post office building
Pichilemu post office building is a building located in Pichilemu, Chile, which served as the city's post office until February 26, 2010, the day before a magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit central Chile. The building was located in front of the Pichilemu Police station...
, in Daniel Ortúzar avenue.
Culture and economy
Tourism is the main industry of Pichilemu, especially in the urban center and some rural areas such as CáhuilCáhuil
Cáhuil is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oysters, and choros...
and Ciruelos
Ciruelos
Ciruelos is a Chilean village located southeast of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province. As of 1899, it had very few inhabitants, a free school, and a post office.-References:...
. Forestry, mainly pine and eucalyptus, is another major industry. The area is also known for handicrafts. Although fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is not very important to O'Higgins Region, due to unsuitable coastlines, it is common in Pichilemu, Bucalemu
Bucalemu
Bucalemu is a Chilean town, located from Pichilemu, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region. It belongs to the Paredones commune and, according to the 1992 census, Bucalemu has 1,532 inhabitants....
, and Navidad
Navidad
Navidad is the Spanish Christmas album by Christian pop singer Jaci Velasquez and is essentially a Spanish version of her previous album Christmas.-Tracklist:# Oh Ven, Oh Ven, Emmanuel# La Cancion Del Angel# El Rey De Israel...
.
Pichilemu has a clay deposit in the Pañul area. According to archaeological investigations, pottery was first manufactured in the area around 300 BCE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. It is still a stalwart today — Ciruelos and El Copao are well-known for the pottery created there.
National monuments
Pichilemu was declared a Typical Zone by the National Monuments CouncilNational Monuments Council
The National Monuments Council is a Chilean government agency dedicated to the preservation and upkeep of special natural and cultural sites in Chile. The National Monuments Council was created in 1925 by law Nº 17.288.-External links:*...
of Chile, by decree No. 1097 on December 22, 2004.
The city is home to five other National Monuments: Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile.The original park contains 100-year-old native Chilean palms and many green spaces...
, Ross Casino, El Árbol Tunnel, Pichilemu railway station
Pichilemu railway station
Pichilemu railway station was a railway station in Pichilemu. It is a wood construction dated circa 1925, located in front of the Petrel Lake, near Daniel Ortúzar Avenue . It remained in operation until the 1990s, and became a National Monument on September 16, 1994. It has since become an arts...
, and Caballo de Agua.
Ross Casino
The old Ross Casino, currently the Cultural Centre, is located on Agustín Ross Avenue in front of Ross Park (34°23′11.71"S 72°00′34.14"W). The three-floor casino was constructed with imported materials in early 1900s by Agustín RossAgustín Ross
Agustín Ross Edwards was a Chilean politician, diplomat, and banker. He was son of David Ross and Carmen Edwards Ossandon; both were of British ancestry. He was married to Susana Ferari.- Biography :Ross studied at the Carlos Black and Simon Kerr School in La Serena...
. It originally housed the first mail and telegraph service and a large store. The first casino in Chile was opened in this building on January 20, 1906. It operated until 1932, when the Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
Casino was opened.
The building was renovated and reopened in 2009 as a cultural arts center. It currently houses several gallery spaces and the public library. During its restoration, workers found many historical artifacts, including a copy of Las Últimas Noticias
Las Últimas Noticias
Las Últimas Noticias is a Chilean, daily middle market tabloid newspaper owned by El Mercurio SAP....
from February 1941 when Ross Casino served as a hotel; an American telephone battery dating from the period of 1909 to 1915; and a tile from the casino's ceiling signed by workers during the building's construction in 1914.
Ross Park and Hotel
Ross Park was created by Agustín Ross in 1885, and remodeled in December 1987.The park is located on Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of Ross Casino (34°23′11.41"S 72°00′37.35"W). The hotel was originally named Gran Hotel Pichilemu (Great Hotel Pichilemu). The once grand Ross Hotel was constructed at the same time, and is one of the oldest hotels in Chile. Although it is still partially open to guests, it is in a state of disrepair.
The park boasts 100-year-old native Chilean palms (Phoenix canariensis) and many green spaces. It was recently restored, and is now a popular walking destination.
Both the park and the former casino were named National Monuments on February 25, 1988.
Railway station
Ex Estación de Ferrocarriles, the old railway station, is a wooden building constructed around 1925. It is in front of Petrel Lagoon, near Daniel Ortúzar Avenue (34°23′08.42"S 72°00′09.30"W). It remained in operation until the 1990s, and became a National Monument on September 16, 1994. It has since become an arts and culture center and tourism information office. It exhibits decorative and practical objects from the 1920s, and features many old clothes.
Railroad history
In the O'Higgins Region, 357 kilometres (221.8 mi) of railway lines were constructed, but only 161 kilometres (100 mi) still exist. The 119 kilometres (73.9 mi) San FernandoSan Fernando, Chile
San Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, in central Chile, and the second most populated urban center of the O'Higgins Region. Located close to the Tinguiririca River in a fertile valley, San Fernando sits 1,112 feet above sea level...
–Pichilemu section was constructed between 1869 and 1926. Passenger services operated on the line until 1986 and freight services were operational until 1995. In 2006, the Peralillo
Peralillo
Peralillo is a Chilean town and commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Peralillo spans an area of and has 9,729 inhabitants . Of these, 5,882 lived in urban areas and 3,847 in rural areas...
–Pichilemu section was removed completely.
Important places
Colegio Preciosa Sangre, Pichilemu
Colegio Preciosa Sangre , also known as CPS, is a Chilean school located in El Llano, Pichilemu, Chile.-Cheer C.P.S.:A cheerleading group from Colegio Preciosa Sangre, Cheer C.P.S., won a championship in Tampa, Florida in 2009.-External links:*...
. The forest has a footpath surrounded by palms, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s, and many other varieties of trees.
Conchal Indígena (Indigenous Midden) is an archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
of pre-Hispanic
Conquest of Chile
The Conquest of Chile is a period in Chilean historiography that starts with the arrival of Pedro de Valdivia to Chile in 1541 and ends with the death of Martín García Óñez de Loyola, in the Battle of Curalaba in 1598 or alternatively with the Destruction of the Seven Cities. This was the period...
times. It is located on the site of an ancient fishing village 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos is a Chilean beach located south of Pichilemu and southwest of Rancagua, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region....
and 0.3 kilometre (0.186411820994942 mi) south of Los Curas Lagoon. Laguna Los Curas (Los Curas Lagoon) is a natural area used for eco-tourist activities such as fishing located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Pichilemu. Another lagoon, the Laguna del Perro (The Dog's Lagoon) is located 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) south of Pichilemu. It is used for recreational activities.
Los Navegantes
Los Navegantes
Los Navegantes is a residential neighbourhood, located in southeastern Pichilemu, Chile, near the Municipal Stadium, and La Cruz Hill. Los Navegantes boasts an area of approximately , and was founded in 1996.-History:...
is a neighborhood in Pichilemu, approximately 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) in size, which was founded in 1997. After five years of construction, around 30 houses were built. It has a small sports court where residents can play football, basketball, and tennis.
Laguna El Alto (El Alto Lagoon) is a small, rain-fed lagoon located at Chorrillos Beach that is often used for camping and picnics. The lagoon is an hour and a half drive from Pichilemu, traveling to the north by Chorrillos beach. Poza del Encanto is a lagoon located 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Pichilemu. It is home to a large variety of native fauna. The Estero Nilahue (Nilahue Lagoon) is located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Pichilemu. It has several beaches, including El Bronce, El Maquí, and Laguna El Vado.
St. Andrew Church is located in Ciruelos
Ciruelos
Ciruelos is a Chilean village located southeast of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province. As of 1899, it had very few inhabitants, a free school, and a post office.-References:...
, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from Pichilemu. It was constructed in 1779, and its altar was built in the 1940s. It has a harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, confessional boxes, and ancient images of saints. Its original image of St. Andrew was made of papier mache. The old parish was created by Archbishop Rafael Valentín Valdivieso
Rafael Valentín Valdivieso
Rafael Valentín Valdivieso Zañartu was a Chilean priest and lawyer, who worked as Archbishop of Santiago de Chile between 1848 and 1878.-Biography:...
in 1864. Cardinal José María Caro
José María Caro
José María Caro Rodríguez was a Chilean Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santiago from 1939 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946 by Pope Pius XII....
was baptized there. The feast day of St. Andrew is celebrated every November 30 at the church.
The Museo del Niño Rural (the Rural Kid Museum) was created as an initiative of teacher Carlos Leyton and his students. It is a modern building that utilises traditional architecture. Three rooms contain a collection of stone tools, arrowheads, and clay tools made by the indigenous people of the region. Also on display are domestic tools from early colonists.
El Copao is a hamlet located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of Pichilemu. Its main industry is domestic pottery production, using clay as a raw material. Pañul is a settlement located 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) from Pichilemu. Its name in Mapudungun
Mapudungun
The Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
means "medicinal herb." Pañul produces pottery made with locally obtained clay. Cáhuil
Cáhuil
Cáhuil is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oysters, and choros...
is a small settlement located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) south of Pichilemu. Its name in Mapudungun means "parrot place". Cahuil lagoon is used for fishing, swimming, and kayaking; kiteboarding lessons are offered on the lagoon. The Cáhuil Bridge
Cáhuil Bridge
The Cáhuil Bridge is a bridge in Chile, located in the village of Cáhuil, Pichilemu, Chile. It connects Pichilemu and the southern commune of Paredones and the Bucalemu beach resort.The bridge was completed in 2001....
is open to motor traffic, and has a view of the Cahuil zone. The bridge provides access to Curicó
Curicó
Curicó , meaning "Black Waters" in Mapudungun , is the capital city of the Curicó Province, part of the Maule Region in Chile's central valley....
, Lolol
Lolol
Lolol is a Chilean commune and town in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region. Lolol was founded in 1830.-History:...
, Bucalemu
Bucalemu
Bucalemu is a Chilean town, located from Pichilemu, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region. It belongs to the Paredones commune and, according to the 1992 census, Bucalemu has 1,532 inhabitants....
, and other nearby places.
Beaches
Pichilemu has many expansive dark sand beaches. The water is cool year-round, and many tourists choose to swim at the shore break during the summer months. Common activities include bodyboarding, surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing.The northernmost of the beaches is Playa Las Terrazas or Playa Principal (The Terraces Beach or Main Beach), which is in front of Ross Park. It is popular for surfing. Near the beach and at Ross Park, there are balustrades and long stairs dating from the early 1900s. There is a balcony
Agustín Ross Balcony
The Ross Balcony is a balcony constructed by Agustín Ross Edwards in 1910. It is located over rocks in the southern part of the beach of Pichilemu, in the Paseo de la Juventud . The waves hit the balcony until the 1960 Valdivia earthquake....
over the rocks at the southern end of the beach. It is the busiest during the summer months. Several surf schools, such as La Ola Perfecta, and Lobos del Pacífico, are located nearby, as is the fish market at Fishermen Creek.
Located south of the town and around the other side of the Puntilla, Playa Infiernillo (Little Hell Beach) is rocky and has tide-pools. This area is used for fishing. South of Infiernillo is Playa Hermosa (Beautiful Beach), which is popular for walking and fishing.
Further south, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Pichilemu, Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos is a Chilean beach located south of Pichilemu and southwest of Rancagua, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region....
features a beach sheltered from the southern winds. It is an increasingly popular destination for tourists and surfers. Several surf contests are held there, including an international big-wave contest during the Chilean fall. The size of waves varies throughout the year. Large swells in fall and winter can reach heights of up to 15 metres (49.2 ft). It is widely considered one of the best beaches for surfing worldwide.
Surfing
SurfingSurfing in Chile
Travelers from all over the World visit the wonderful country of Chile that has many beaches for surfing, especially in the northern region where the weather conditions attract many surfers from all over the world....
is a tourist attraction, particularly at Punta de Lobos. According to Fodor's
Fodor's
Fodor's is the world's largest publisher of English language travel and tourism information, and the first relatively professional producer of travel guidebooks...
travel guide,
Every October and December, an International Championship of Surf is held at La Puntilla Beach. Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos
Punta de Lobos is a Chilean beach located south of Pichilemu and southwest of Rancagua, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region....
hosts the Campeonato Nacional de Surf (National Surfing Championship) every summer.
Media
The local newspaper, called El Expreso de la Costa, has a circulation area that covers most of Cardenal Caro ProvinceCardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins . The capital of Cardenal Caro is Pichilemu....
. It is directed by Félix Calderón. There is an online newspaper in Spanish called Pichilemu News
Pichilemu News
Pichilemu News, or PichilemuNews.cl is a Chilean online newspaper based on Pichilemu. It was founded by Washington Saldías, former Councillor of Pichilemu, on January 14, 2000 as a sequel to Periódico Pichilemu .- History :Pichilemu News was founded on January 14, 2000 by Washington Saldías, former...
. It is edited by Washington Saldías
Washington Saldías
Washington Ramón Saldías González is a Chilean politician. Saldías is also the executive editor of Pichilemu News.Saldías was elected Councillor of Pichilemu with 870 votes from a total of 6,352 votes in Chilean municipal election of 1996.-Biography:Saldías was born in Santiago, Chile on August...
, former councillor of the city. The magazine Hola Vecino circulated between 2007 and 2008 in most of O'Higgins Region and was directed by Francisco Espejo.
Radio services come from Radio Entre Olas, Radio Atardecer
Radio Atardecer
- External links :*...
, Radio Somos Pichilemu (directed by former Mayor Jorge Vargas González and his wife and current Councillor Andrea Aranda), Radio Isla, and Radio Corporación. A television channel, Canal 3 Pichilemu
Canal 3 Pichilemu
Canal 3 Pichilemu is a Chilean TV channel, with its headquarters located in Pichilemu, O'Higgins Region.The channel was created in 2000, and its current director is Yovanny Moraga...
, also broadcasts in the area.
Education
Pichilemu has no higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
establishments, although it has many primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
schools, including: Charly's School
Charly's School
Charly's School, also known as CS, is a Chilean school located in El Llano, Pichilemu, Chile.It is the only private school in the city. It has approximately 20 students by grade, from pre-kindergarten to 4th secondary grade....
, a primary and secondary school in El Llano; Escuela Digna Camilo Aguilar
Escuela Digna Camilo Aguilar
Escuela Digna Camilo Aguilar , formerly known as Escuela E-367, is a Chilean school located in Pichilemu, Chile. It is the most popular school in the city and has 303 students as of 2009....
(Digna Camilo Aguilar School), a primary school near Charly's School; Colegio Libertadores (Liberators School), a primary school in Infiernillo; Colegio Preciosa Sangre
Colegio Preciosa Sangre, Pichilemu
Colegio Preciosa Sangre , also known as CPS, is a Chilean school located in El Llano, Pichilemu, Chile.-Cheer C.P.S.:A cheerleading group from Colegio Preciosa Sangre, Cheer C.P.S., won a championship in Tampa, Florida in 2009.-External links:*...
(Precious Blood School), a primary and secondary school near El Llano; Colegio Divino Maestro (Divine Master School), a primary school near Pueblo de Viudas; and Escuela Pueblo de Viudas (Pueblo de Viudas School), a primary school in Pueblo de Viudas.
Other schools include the Liceo Agustín Ross Edwards (Agustín Ross Edwards High School), a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in El Llano, near Escuela Digna Camilo Aguilar and Charly's School, and Jardín Amanecer (Dawn Garden), a kindergarten school in El Llano.
Important dates
| Date | Festivity | Place |
|---|---|---|
| December 31 – January 1 | Año Nuevo Junto al Mar (New Year with the Sea) | Agustín Ross Park Agustín Ross Park Agustín Ross Park is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile.The original park contains 100-year-old native Chilean palms and many green spaces... , in front of the Agustín Ross Cultural Centre Agustín Ross Cultural Centre The Agustín Ross Cultural Center , formerly known as the Ross Casino , is the cultural center of the city of Pichilemu in O'Higgins Region, Chile. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909 at the request of politician Agustín Ross Edwards... |
| February 6 – February 19 | Semana Pichilemina (Pichileminian Week) | Pichilemu |
| February 16 – February 21 | Fiesta Costumbrista Folclore Junto al Mar (Folklore and Local Customs Festival with the Sea) | Arturo Prat Arturo Prat Agustín Arturo Prat Chacón was a Chilean navy officer. He was killed shortly after boarding the Peruvian armored monitor Huáscar at the Naval Battle of Iquique after the ship under his command, the Esmeralda, was rammed by the Peruvian monitor... Square, Pichilemu |
| February 25 – February 26 | Trilla a Yegua Suelta (Threshing with Horses) | La Puntilla, Pichilemu |
| Between March and April (date varies Computus Computus is the calculation of the date of Easter in the Christian calendar. The name has been used for this procedure since the early Middle Ages, as it was one of the most important computations of the age.... ) |
Semana Santa Passion Week Passion Week is a name for the week beginning on Passion Sunday, as the Fifth Sunday of Lent was once called in the Roman Rite.However, even before Pope John XXIII's Code of Rubrics changed the name of this Sunday from "Passion Sunday" to "First Sunday of the Passion" , the liturgical books gave... en Pichilemu (Passion Week in Pichilemu) |
Inmaculada Concepción Parish, Pichilemu |
| April 9 | Muestra Nacional de Cueca (National Cueca Cueca Cueca is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially selected on September 18, 1979.- Origins :... Demonstration) |
Municipal Gymnasium of Pichilemu |
| September 17 – September 19 | Fiestas Patrias Fiestas Patrias (Chile) The Fiestas Patrias of Chile consists of two days:*September 18, in commemoration of the proclamation of the First Governing Body of 1810, and marking the beginning of the Chilean independence process.... ("Independence Day of Chile" or "National Holiday") |
Pichilemu |
| September 18 – September 21 | Campeonato Estudiantil de Surf (Student Surf Championship) | La Puntilla Beach and Punta de Lobos Punta de Lobos Punta de Lobos is a Chilean beach located south of Pichilemu and southwest of Rancagua, in the Cardenal Caro Province, O'Higgins Region.... |
| November 30 | Feast day of Saint Andrew | Ciruelos Ciruelos Ciruelos is a Chilean village located southeast of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province. As of 1899, it had very few inhabitants, a free school, and a post office.-References:... |
| December 8 | Fiesta de la Purísima (Inmaculate Conception Festival) | Inmaculada Concepción Parish, Pichilemu |
See also
- Outline of ChileOutline of Chileright|188pxthumb|An enlargeable relief map of the [[Republic of Chile]]The Republic of Chile is a sovereign country located in southwestern South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip between the South Pacific Ocean and the crest of the southern Andes Mountain Range...
- List of cities in Chile
- People from Pichilemu
Further reading
— Available at Spanish WikisourceExternal links
- Official website
- Official Cahuil website
- News site of Pichilemu