Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Chile
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii
Reference	959
Region†	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	2003  (27th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Valparaíso (literally in Spanish: Paradise Valley and also called "Valpo" locally) is a major city in Chile and one of that country's most important seaports and an increasingly vital cultural center in the hemisphere's Pacific Southwest. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The city is located in central Chile, where it is capital of the Region of Valparaíso. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Geography It is west but on the same latitude as the "Región Metropolitana de Santiago " Although Santiago is Chile's official capital, Valparaiso houses the National Congress. Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago The National Congress (Congreso Nacional is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy. Valparaíso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often considered to be one of Latin America’s most intriguing urban areas. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Valparaiso, like most of Chile, is vulnerable to earthquakes. The last major earthquake to strike Valparaiso devastated the city in 1906, killing nearly 20,000 people.

In 2003, the Chilean Congress declared Valparaíso to be “Chile’s Cultural Capital” and home for the nation’s new cultural ministry. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Although technically only Chile’s 6th largest city, with an urban area population of 263,499 (275,982 in municipality^[1]), the Greater Valparaíso metropolitan area, including the neighboring resort city of Viña del Mar, is the second largest in the country (892. Viña del Mar ( Spanish: "Vineyard of the Sea" also known locally as La Ciudad Jardín (Spanish "The Garden City" is a Chilean 143 inhabitants).

Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century, when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Straits of Magellan (rarely referred to as the Magellanic Straits) comprise a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland Chile and north of Isla Grande Always a magnet for European immigrants, Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, when the city was known by international sailors as “Little San Francisco” or “The Jewel of the Pacific. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions ”

Examples of Valparaíso’s former glory include Latin America’s oldest stock exchange, the continent’s first volunteer fire department, Chile’s first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world. A stock exchange, share market or bourse is a Corporation or Mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for Stock A fire station (also called stationhouse) is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus (i A public library (also called circulating library) is a Library which is accessible by the Public and is generally funded from public sources (such The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction in ship traffic dealt a staggering blow to Valparaíso, though the city has staged an impressive rennaissance in recent years. The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the

Valparaíso is located in central Chile, 120 km (74 miles) to the northwest of the capital Santiago. Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago The city is an important educational centre with nine universities. Major industries include tourism, culture, and transport. Valparaíso stages a major festival attended by hundreds of thousands of participants on the last three days of every year. The festival culminates with a “New Year’s by the Sea” fireworks show, the biggest in all of Latin America, attended by a million tourists who fill the coastline and hillsides with a view of the bay. A firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes

Approximately 50 international cruise ships call on Valparaíso during the 4-month Chilean summer. The port of Valparaíso is also an important hub for shipping of container freight, and exports of wine, copper, and fresh fruit. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology.

Travel between Valparaíso and Santiago currently takes some 70 minutes on a state-of-the-art toll road.

The Chilean Congress meets in a modern building in the Almendral section of Valparaíso, after relocation from Santiago during the last years of the military rule of general Augusto Pinochet. The National Congress (Congreso Nacional is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November Although congressional activities were to be legally moved by a ruling in 1987, the newly built site only began to function as the seat of Congress during the democratically-elected government of Patricio Aylwin, who followed Pinochet, in 1990. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Patricio Aylwin Azócar (born November 26, 1918) was the first President of Chile after its return to democratic rule in 1990 following Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)

The historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Contents 1 History 2 Today 3 Culture 4 Sports 5 Sister cities 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

History

Valparaíso’s bay was first populated by Changos, an ethnic group dedicated to fishing and gathering. Changos was a tribe of native South Americans who appear to have originally inhabited the Peruvian coast and spread south to the coast of Atacama, in northern Spanish explorers arrived in 1536, on the Santiaguillo, a ship sent by Diego de Almagro, considered the first European explorer of Chile. Diego de Almagro ( Almagro, Spain, c 1475 &ndash Cuzco, Peru, July 8, 1538) also known as El Adelantado The Santiaguillo carried men and supplies for Almagro’s expedition, under the command of Juan de Saavedra, who named the town after his native village of Valparaíso de Arriba in Cuenca, Spain. Two men named Juan de Saavedra were among the early Spanish colonists in Peru. Cuenca is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

During Spanish colonial times, Valparaíso remained a small village, with only a few houses and a church. The World War I naval Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel After Chile’s independence from Spain, Valparaíso became the main harbour for the nascent Chilean navy, and opened to international trade, which had been limited to commerce with Spain and its other colonies. Valparaíso soon became a required stopover for ships crossing between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, via the Strait of Magellan and Cape Horn, and gained particular importance supporting and supplying the California Gold Rush (1848-1858). The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Straits of Magellan (rarely referred to as the Magellanic Straits) comprise a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland Chile and north of Isla Grande Cabo de Hornos redirects here for the Chilean commune see Cabo de Hornos Chile. The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California In its role as a major seaport, Valparaíso received immigrants from many European countries, mainly from England, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. German, French, Italian and English were commonly spoken among its citizens, who also had newspapers in these same languages.

International immigration transformed the local culture from its Spanish origins. Football was introduced to Chile by English immigrants, and the first private catholic school in Chile was founded by French immigrants in Valparaíso: Le Collège de Les Sacrés Cœurs (The Sacred Hearts School) which has been operating for about 170 years. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Immigrants from England and Germany founded the first private, secular schools, (The MacKay School, and Die Deutsche Schule respectively). Immigrants also formed the first volunteer fire-fighting units (still a volunteer activity in Chile), while architecture reflected various European styles, not just Spanish traditions.

The golden age of Valparaíso’s commerce ended after the opening of the Panama Canal (1914), as most ships sought to avoid the Strait of Magellan, and the port’s importance and use was reduced substantially. The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the Traffic has increased in the last few decades with fruit exports, increasing opening of the Chilean economy to world commerce, and Post-Panamax ships that do not fit the Panama Canal. " Panamax " ships are of the maximum dimensions that will fit through the locks of the Panama Canal.

Today

Though San Antonio, Chile has taken the reigns as the country’s most commercially important seaport (greater tonnage moved), the City of Valparaíso remains a vibrant center of Chilean culture, and the Greater Valparaíso metropolitan area (which includes Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Quilpué and Villa Alemana) has the third largest concentration of population in the country after greater Santiago and Greater Concepción. Iquique (iˈkike is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Valparaíso (literally in Spanish: Valle Paraíso (Paradise Valley and also called "Valpo" locally is a major city in Chile San Antonio is a Chilean port city and commune in San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region. Viña del Mar ( Spanish: "Vineyard of the Sea" also known locally as La Ciudad Jardín (Spanish "The Garden City" is a Chilean Quilpué is called by the locals "Ciudad del Sol" (City of the sun because compared to Valparaíso (only 30 minutes away it has a lot more sunny days Villa Alemana (literally "German Village" is a city and community in central Chile. Santiago is one of the six Provinces of the Santiago Metropolitan Region of Chile. Gran Concepción is the second largest Conurbation in Chile, after Greater Santiago with 889725 habitants

Nicknamed “The Jewel of the Pacific”, Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its improvised urban design and unique architecture. The official Unesco declaration also places exceptional emphasis on Valparaíso’s unique “intangible heritage,” which includes the city’s ethnic heritage as seen through the traditions and life styles of Valparaíso’s immigrant communities.

Immortalized in the words of Pablo Neruda as the ‘Ocean’s sweetheart’ (“novia del océano”), the city that ‘goes to Paradise’ ("Va al paraíso") is one of Chile’s —if not South America’s— most charismatic and historic ports, with its charming “ascensores” (funiculars) and colorful hillside houses. A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained Valparaíso’s road infrastructure is under substantial improvement at present, particularly with the completion of the “Curauma — Placilla — La Pólvora” freeway bypass, which will allow trucks to go directly to the port facility over a modern highway and through tunnels, without driving through the historic and already congested downtown streets. In addition, roads to link Valparaíso to San Antonio, Chile’s second largest port, and the coastal towns in between (Laguna Verde, Quintay, Algarrobo, and Isla Negra, for example), are also under various degrees of completion.

A new regional Metro system, opened to the public on 24 November 2005, updated parts of the railroad that joined Santiago to Valparaíso and cities in between (originally built in 1863). Metro Valparaíso is the metro system serving the urban conglomeration of Gran Valparaíso, Chile, connecting the cities of Valparaíso Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The new metro constitutes the so-called “fourth stage” (“Cuarta Etapa” in Spanish) of Metropolitan improvements. The metro railway extends along most of Gran Valparaíso and is the second metro system in operation in Chile (after Santiago’s), and includes an underground section that crosses Viña del Mar’s downtown.

Trolleybus	Artillery Funicular	McDonalds in Valparaiso	Tube station in Valparaiso
Esmeralda Naval training Ship	Valparaiso in 1906	Inacap of Valparaiso	Catholic university of Valparaiso
Technical university Federico Santa Maria	view from La Sebastiana	Metro Valparaiso	buildings in Valparaiso
El Mercurio de Valparaíso	Turri

Culture

During Valparaíso’s golden age (1848-1914), the city received large numbers of immigrants, primarily from Europe. The immigrant communities left a unique imprint on the city’s architecture. Each community built its own churches and schools, while many also founded other noteworthy cultural and economic institutions. The largest immigrant communities came from England, Germany, and Italy, each developing their own hillside neighborhood, preserved today as National Historic Districts or “Zonas Típicas. ”

During the second half of the twentieth century, Valparaíso experienced a great decline, as wealthy families de-gentrified the historic quarter, moving to bustling Santiago or nearby Viña del Mar. By the early 1990s, much of the city’s unique heritage had been lost and many Chileans had given up on the city. But in the mid 1990s, a grass roots preservation movement blossomed in Valparaíso.

In 1996, the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso’s unusual system of funicular elevators (highly-inclined cable cars) one of the world’s 100 most endangered historical treasures. A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained In 1998, grassroots activists convinced the Chilean government and local authorities to apply for UNESCO world heritage status for Valparaíso.

One such activist group was the “Fundación Valparaíso” or Valparaíso Foundation, founded by a contemporary North American Poet, Todd Temkin, who fell in love with the city while teaching literature at the Catholic University of Valparaíso. Todd Temkin (1964-) is an American poet Born in Milwaukee Wisconsin Temkin has carved a niche as poet turned social entrepreneur and cultural activist The Valparaíso Foundation has executed major neighborhood redevelopment projects; has improved the city’s tourist infrastructure; and administers the city’s jazz, ethnic music, and opera festivals; among other projects. Some noteworthy foundation projects include: “The World Heritage Trail”;“Opera by the Sea”; and Chile’s “Cultural Capital”.

Valparaíso was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003, thanks to its historical importance, natural beauty (large number of hills surrounding a picturesque harbor), and unique architecture (particularly, a mix of 19th century styles of housing). A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

Valparaíso’s newspaper, “El Mercurio de Valparaíso”, is the oldest Spanish-language newspaper in circulation in the world.

“Fundación Renzo Pecchenino, LUKAS” maintains the drawings and paintings of the artist/cartoonist who came to symbolize Valparaíso in popular culture, in a newly restored building on Cerro Concepción, overlooking the bay.

Valparaíso is also home to the so called “School of Valparaíso”, which is in fact the Faculty of Architecture & Urbanism of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. 211 1139rrjpg|frame|Sweet cherry orchard at the PUCV Experiment Station in Quillota. The “School of Valparaiso” is one of the most experimental, avant garde and controversial Architectural schools in the country.

The city has the third largest concentration of universities in Chile, and is home to four major universities:

• Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
• Universidad de Valparaíso
• Universidad de Playa Ancha

Valparaíso is the birthplace of many historically significant figures, including Augusto Pinochet, Salvador Allende, Sergio Badilla Castillo founder of poetic transrealism in contemporary poetry, Roberto Ampuero, author of the internationally published novels about the private eye Cayetano Brulé and "Hijo Ilustre" of Valparaíso, and Australia’s third Prime Minister John Christian Watson. The Federico Santa María Technical University (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María ( UTFSM) situated in Valparaíso, is one of the most reputed 211 1139rrjpg|frame|Sweet cherry orchard at the PUCV Experiment Station in Quillota. University of Valparaíso (Universidad de Valparaíso is a university in Chile. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November Salvador Isabelino Allende Gossens (June 26 1908 – September 11 1973 was President of Chile from November 1970 until his death during the coup d'état of Sergio Badilla Castillo (born November 30 1947 in Valparaiso, Chile) is a Chilean Poet and the founder of Poetic transrealism Roberto Ampuero (1953 is a prolific award-winning and best-selling Chilean novelist columnist and professor John Christian Watson (9 April 1867 – 18 November 1941 commonly known as Chris Watson, Australian politician was the third Prime Minister of Australia It has also been the residence of many artists, such as Pablo Neruda and Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. Pablo Neruda ( July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and later legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Félix Rubén García Sarmiento also known as Rubén Darío (Metapa January 18, 1867 &ndash Leon February 6, 1916) was a

Nightlife activities in Valparaíso are claimed to be among the best in the country. Sailors favor the harbor sector because of the various traditional bars, among them, “Bar La Playa”, “La Piedra Feliz,” and “El Bar Inglés”, which can be found near Plaza Sotomayor. University students now meet at a number of local nightclubs, bars, and discotheques. A vivid guide to Valparaíso can be found in the novels of Cayetano Brule, the private detective who lives in a Victorian house, in the picturesque Paseo Gervasoni, on Cerro Concepción.

Sports

“Valparaiso Downhill” [1] is a new mountain bike race that takes place in February, and that has bicycle racers compete down stairs and alleys, going from the surrounding hills down to the "plan" (Valparaiso's "lowlands").

The local football team is called Santiago Wanderers.

II Half Marathon Puerto Valparaíso 2007 is the continuation of Valparaíso Maratón Bicentenario 2006, an international event that mixes athletics and tourism through the streets of Valparaíso. On September 30, 2007, will be the second race, over two distances: 10 km and 21 km, in 12 categories, for male and female runners. The race will start at Muelle Barón, and the course will pass by the sea side, crossing diverse architectural and geographical landmarks.

Climate chart for Valparaíso
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0   23 13	0   22 13	4   20 12	13   18 11	55   16 10	83   15 9	111   15 8	60   16 8	27   17 9	10   18 10	8   20 11	1   21 12
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   73 55     0   72 55     0. 2   68 54     0. 5   64 52     2. 2   61 50     3. 3   59 48     4. 4   59 46     2. 4   61 46     1. 1   63 48     0. 4   64 50     0. 3   68 52     0   70 54 temperatures in °F • precipitation totals in inches

Sister cities

• Oviedo, Spain
• Malacca, Malaysia
• Busan, South Korea (1999)
• Long Beach, California, USA
• Shanghai, China
• Novorossiysk, Russia

See also

• Valparaiso, Indiana - A large city in The United States not far off the coast of Lake Michigan. Oviedo ( Asturian: Uviéu is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Malacca Town ( Malay: Bandar Melaka) is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National History In antiquity the shores of the Tsemess Bay were the site of Bata, an ancient Greek colony that specialized in the Grain trade Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Valparaiso (ˌvɑlpəˈreɪzoʊ is a city in Porter County, Indiana, U
• Flach - one of the first submarines ever built that sank near Valparaiso in 1866
• Daughter of Fortune- A novel which takes place largely in Valparaiso. History The Flach was built in 1866 at the request of the Chilean government by Karl Flach, a German engineer and immigrant Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Daughter of Fortune (original Spanish title Hija de la fortuna) is a novel by Isabel Allende, and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection

References

1. ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas, Censos 2002, accessed 10 July 2007

External links

• Municipalidad de Valparaíso (Valparaíso Municipality)
• Pictures
• Museo de Historia Natural—National History Museum
• El Mercurio de Valparaíso—Main newspaper
• La Sebastiana Museum
• Fundación Valparaíso—Valparaíso Foundation
• Portal Valparaíso—Port of Valparaíso
• Naval and Maritime museum
• Cía. de Ascensores privados de Valparaíso
• Escuela Naval Arturo Prat—Arturo Prat Naval Academy
• Valparaíso UNESCO World Heritage Site entry
• Downtown map
• Metro system website
• Valparaíso Maratón Bicentenario—Bi-centennial Valparaíso Marathon

Gran Valparaíso
Cities	Valparaíso | Viña del Mar | Concón | Quilpué | Villa Alemana
Universities	Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso | Federico Santa María Technical University | University of Valparaíso | University of Educational Sciences "Playa Ancha"
Culture & Sports	El Mercurio de Valparaíso | Santiago Wanderers

Viña del Mar ( Spanish: "Vineyard of the Sea" also known locally as La Ciudad Jardín (Spanish "The Garden City" is a Chilean Concón is a Chilean city and commune in Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region. Quilpué is called by the locals "Ciudad del Sol" (City of the sun because compared to Valparaíso (only 30 minutes away it has a lot more sunny days Villa Alemana (literally "German Village" is a city and community in central Chile. 211 1139rrjpg|frame|Sweet cherry orchard at the PUCV Experiment Station in Quillota. The Federico Santa María Technical University (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María ( UTFSM) situated in Valparaíso, is one of the most reputed University of Valparaíso (Universidad de Valparaíso is a university in Chile. El Mercurio de Valparaíso is the oldest circulating newspaper in Chile and in Spanish language. Club de Deportes Santiago Wanderers, is a Chilean football club based in the city of Valparaíso.

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