Puchuncaví
Encyclopedia
Puchuncaví is a town and commune in the Valparaíso Province
of central Chile
's fifth region of Valparaíso
. It spans a coastal area of 299.9 sqkm.
"Punchuncahuin", meaning "where fiestas abound". Similarly, there have been other meanings to this word, such as "Remains of Fiestas" or "End of Fiestas".
There are no precise dates known relating to the origin of Puchuncaví, and it is presumed that at the arrival of the Spaniards a shantytown by this name existed. Puchuncaví was one of the terminals of the famous Inca road system
, a stone footpath of medium width that united the Zona Central
of Chile with Cuzco, Peru
, the capital of the Inca Empire
.
In this location resided a Curaca or direct representative of the Inca, in charge of collecting taxes, crops, and imposing imperial authority over the indigenous peoples of the region. Upon the arrival of the Spanish, conquistador Pedro de Valdivia
gave the valley of Puchuncaví to one of his soldiers, the Italian native Milán Vicenzo del Monte, a nephew of Pope Julius II
.
His descendants subdivided the lands between their heirs and finally in the 17th century there were several principal owners. On 8 December 1691, the Parrish of Puchuncaví was created by the Chaplain of War during the independence of Chile, Presbyter
Juan Manuel Benavides y Mujica, as recorded in the parish archives.
On 6 March 1875, the Villa of Puchuncaví was declared and was on several occasions provincial capital. In the year 1894 the first commune called “Quintero
-Puchuncaví” was formed, integrating the two neighboring localities.
In 1929, president
Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
, issued a decree annexing the low-budget communes, and Puchuncaví was eliminated. This mandate complicated the situation; Puchuncaví happened to depend on Quintero. After a long period of dependence on Quintero, the creation of the Puchuncaví commune was achieved through Decree No. 3827 on 15 October 1923 after great efforts made by the then authorities of the town of Quintero and prominent residents of the area.
Thus, in 1943 the corporation of the commune of Quintero decided to separate of the two cities. After a series of meetings with neighbors and the authorities, they achieved this separation on 13 September 1944 as issued in Law Decree No. 7866 under then-president Juan Antonio Ríos
and alcalde
Juan José Mena Salinas, creating the Municipality of Puchuncaví with its eight districts: Placilla de Puchuncaví, La Laguna, La Canela, San Antonio, Pucalán, Melosillas, Los Maitenes, Campiche, La Greda, Las Ventanas
, La Chocota and Horcón.
In 1975, with the creation of the Quillota Province
and restructuring of the Valparaíso Province
, Puchuncaví became part of the latter province.
s and 1,855 (14.3%) in rural areas. At that time, there were 6,643 men and 6,311 women. The population grew by 21.5% (2,293 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
The commune consists of a number of localities and towns, including Las Ventanas, which hosts the Foundry and Refinery of Las Ventanas (est. 30 September 1964); La Chocota and Horcón with their handcrafted boats and nude beach; Maitencillo, where one can find the Marbella Resort; El Rungue, countryside known for its traditional restaurant El Caballito de palo (English: "Stick Pony"); Pucalán and Los Maquis, whose people are primarily dedicated to the production of coal and agriculture; Campiche, whose people are primarily dedicated to growing tomatoes and other vegetables; La Canela; La Quebrada; El Paso; La Laguna; Chilicauquen; El Rincón; and El Leon.
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Agustín Valencia García. The communal council has the following members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Puchuncaví is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Mr. Eduardo Cerda (PDC) and Mrs. Andrea Molina (UDI) as part of the 10th electoral district, (together with La Ligua
, Petorca
, Cabildo
, Papudo
, Zapallar
, Quintero
, Nogales
, Calera, La Cruz
, Quillota
and Hijuelas
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Ignacio Walker Prieto (PDC) and Lily Pérez San Martín (RN) as part of the 5th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso-Cordillera).
Valparaíso Province
Valparaíso Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso . Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso Valparaíso Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso (V). Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso Valparaíso...
of central Chile
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...
's fifth region of Valparaíso
Valparaíso Region
The V Valparaíso Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions.Valparaíso Region, 2006 With the country's third highest population of 1,539,852 million in 2002 and third smallest area of , the region is Chile's second most densely populated after the Santiago Metropolitan Region...
. It spans a coastal area of 299.9 sqkm.
History
The history of Puchuncaví and its surroundings goes back over 500 years, being one of the oldest localities in Chile. The contemporary name comes from the MapudungunMapudungun
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...
"Punchuncahuin", meaning "where fiestas abound". Similarly, there have been other meanings to this word, such as "Remains of Fiestas" or "End of Fiestas".
There are no precise dates known relating to the origin of Puchuncaví, and it is presumed that at the arrival of the Spaniards a shantytown by this name existed. Puchuncaví was one of the terminals of the famous Inca road system
Inca road system
The Inca road system was the most extensive and advanced transportation system in pre-Columbian South America. The network was based on two north-south roads with numerous branches. The best known portion of the road system is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu...
, a stone footpath of medium width that united the Zona Central
Zona Central, Chile
Zona central is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. It is home to a majority of the Chilean population and includes the three largest metropolitan areas- Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción...
of Chile with Cuzco, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, the capital of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
.
In this location resided a Curaca or direct representative of the Inca, in charge of collecting taxes, crops, and imposing imperial authority over the indigenous peoples of the region. Upon the arrival of the Spanish, conquistador 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...
gave the valley of Puchuncaví to one of his soldiers, the Italian native Milán Vicenzo del Monte, a nephew of Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
.
His descendants subdivided the lands between their heirs and finally in the 17th century there were several principal owners. On 8 December 1691, the Parrish of Puchuncaví was created by the Chaplain of War during the independence of Chile, Presbyter
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
Juan Manuel Benavides y Mujica, as recorded in the parish archives.
On 6 March 1875, the Villa of Puchuncaví was declared and was on several occasions provincial capital. In the year 1894 the first commune called “Quintero
Quintero
Quintero is a Chilean city and commune in Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-History:The name of the city comes from Alonso Quintero, the Spanish navigator who discovered the bay in 1536 when he arrived on the ship Santiaguillo.-Demographics:According to the 2002...
-Puchuncaví” was formed, integrating the two neighboring localities.
In 1929, president
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...
Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo was a Chilean Army officer and political figure. He served as dictator between 1927 and 1931 and as constitutional President from 1952 to 1958.- The coups of 1924 and 1925 :...
, issued a decree annexing the low-budget communes, and Puchuncaví was eliminated. This mandate complicated the situation; Puchuncaví happened to depend on Quintero. After a long period of dependence on Quintero, the creation of the Puchuncaví commune was achieved through Decree No. 3827 on 15 October 1923 after great efforts made by the then authorities of the town of Quintero and prominent residents of the area.
Thus, in 1943 the corporation of the commune of Quintero decided to separate of the two cities. After a series of meetings with neighbors and the authorities, they achieved this separation on 13 September 1944 as issued in Law Decree No. 7866 under then-president Juan Antonio Ríos
Juan Antonio Ríos
Juan Antonio Ríos Morales was a Chilean political figure, and President of Chile from 1942 to 1946, during the height of World War II. He died in office.-Early life:...
and alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
Juan José Mena Salinas, creating the Municipality of Puchuncaví with its eight districts: Placilla de Puchuncaví, La Laguna, La Canela, San Antonio, Pucalán, Melosillas, Los Maitenes, Campiche, La Greda, Las Ventanas
Las Ventanas
Las Ventanas is a Chilean city in Puchuncaví commune, Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region....
, La Chocota and Horcón.
In 1975, with the creation of the Quillota Province
Quillota Province
Quillota Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso . Its capital is the city of Quillota .-Administration:...
and restructuring of the Valparaíso Province
Valparaíso Province
Valparaíso Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso . Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso Valparaíso Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso (V). Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso Valparaíso...
, Puchuncaví became part of the latter province.
Demographics
According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, Puchuncaví had 12,954 inhabitants; of these, 11,099 (85.7%) lived in urban areaUrban 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...
s and 1,855 (14.3%) in rural areas. At that time, there were 6,643 men and 6,311 women. The population grew by 21.5% (2,293 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
The commune consists of a number of localities and towns, including Las Ventanas, which hosts the Foundry and Refinery of Las Ventanas (est. 30 September 1964); La Chocota and Horcón with their handcrafted boats and nude beach; Maitencillo, where one can find the Marbella Resort; El Rungue, countryside known for its traditional restaurant El Caballito de palo (English: "Stick Pony"); Pucalán and Los Maquis, whose people are primarily dedicated to the production of coal and agriculture; Campiche, whose people are primarily dedicated to growing tomatoes and other vegetables; La Canela; La Quebrada; El Paso; La Laguna; Chilicauquen; El Rincón; and El Leon.
Administration
As a commune, Puchuncaví is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a communal council, headed by an alcaldeAlcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Agustín Valencia García. The communal council has the following members:
- Ana Rosa Villarroel Pacheco (UDI)
- Fernando Vicencio Bazáes (PRSDSocial Democrat Radical PartyThe Social Democratic Radical Party is a social democratic party in Chile.The party is a member of Socialist International....
) - Guillermo Herrera Figueroa (PDCChristian Democratic PartyChristian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...
) - Mauricio Cancino Quezada (RNNational Renewal (Chile)National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) - Ramón Barría Pino
- Eugenio Silva Pinto (Ind.Independent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
/ RN)
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Puchuncaví is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
by Mr. Eduardo Cerda (PDC) and Mrs. Andrea Molina (UDI) as part of the 10th electoral district, (together with La Ligua
La Ligua
La Ligua is a Chilean city and commune, capital of the Petorca Province in Valparaíso Region.The city is known for its textile manufacturing and typical Chilean pastry production.-Demographics:...
, Petorca
Petorca
Petorca is a Chilean town and commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Petorca has 9,440 inhabitants . Of these, 4,535 lived in urban areas and 4,905 in rural areas...
, Cabildo
Cabildo, Chile
Cabildo is a Chilean city and commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, Cabildo had 18,916 inhabitants; of these, 12,453 lived in urban areas and 6,463 in rural areas....
, Papudo
Papudo
Papudo is a Chilean commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Papudo has 4,608 inhabitants . Of these, 4,343 lived in urban areas and 265 in rural areas...
, Zapallar
Zapallar
Zapallar is a Chilean town and commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Zapallar has 5,659 inhabitants . Of these, 4,744 lived in urban areas and 915 in rural areas...
, Quintero
Quintero
Quintero is a Chilean city and commune in Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-History:The name of the city comes from Alonso Quintero, the Spanish navigator who discovered the bay in 1536 when he arrived on the ship Santiaguillo.-Demographics:According to the 2002...
, Nogales
Nogales, Chile
Nogales is a city and commune in the Quillota Province of central Chile's fifth region of Valparaíso.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Nogales has 21,633 inhabitants . Of these, 18,698 lived in urban areas and 2,935 in rural areas...
, Calera, La Cruz
La Cruz, Chile
La Cruz is a city and commune in the Quillota Province of central Chile's fifth region of Valparaíso.- Geography :The Mediterranean climate of Chile's Zona Central allows for a rich quality and variety of flora and fauna. Thanks to this climate, it is in this small commune in the Quillota Province...
, Quillota
Quillota
Quillota is a city and commune located in the Aconcagua River valley of central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is the capital and largest city of the Quillota Province where many inhabitants live in the surrounding farm areas of San Isidro, La Palma, Pocochay, and San Pedro...
and Hijuelas
Hijuelas
Hijuelas is a city and commune in the Quillota Province of central Chile's fifth region of Valparaíso.- Geography :Hijuelas spans an area of in Chile's Zona Central...
). The commune is represented in the Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
by Ignacio Walker Prieto (PDC) and Lily Pérez San Martín (RN) as part of the 5th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso-Cordillera).