Santa LucÃa Hill
The Cerro Santa Lucía is a small, 69 -meter-high ( 629 meters ü.d. sea level ) hill and park in the middle of the Chilean capital Santiago.
History
The hill was known before the conquest of the area by Pedro de Valdivia on December 13, 1540 Huelen. This name means in the language of the original inhabitants of this area, the Picunche, "pain, melancholy or sadness ."
As the conquerors arrived in the valley of the Mapocho, they used the " Huelen " as a watchtower and founded on February 12, 1541 the city of Santiago del Nuevo Extremo - today's Chilean capital Santiago.
During the " Reconquista " (1814 -1817) in command of General Francisco Casimiro Marcó del Pont (the last Spanish governor of the Generalkapitanates Chile ) in 1820, the construction of two backup batteries on the Cerro Santa Lucía: Marcó and Castillo Hidalgo.
Already in the 19th century and as part of a beautification plan for Santiago, specifically in preparation for the " 100th anniversary of the Chilean republic," with the participation of Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna the fortress buildings were razed to the " Santa Lucía ": footpaths, a chapel on the hill top, several fountains and gazebo built, and finally planted some trees, so that the hill has a park-like character today.
Over the years it became a tradition that was made at noon a cannon shot from the hill above the capital. Meanwhile, the Cerro Santa Lucía has been appointed as the nucleus of the Chilean capital on 16 December 1939 National Monument.
Others
On the Cerro Santa Lucía is a 2 -meter-high stone monument with the presentation of the letter that Pedro de Valdivia to the Emperor Charles V wrote on September 4, 1545. In this letter he describes the beautiful landscape of the newly conquered land. In addition to the walk, there is also a lift up the hill.