Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia on indigenous settlements in the valley of the Mapocho River, Santiago is the capital and most populated city of Chile. This South American city is enframed by the Andes Mountains to the east and the Chilean Coast Range to the west, in addition to 26 island hills (cerros islas) scattered throughout the city. Some of these island hills have been converted into urban parks, such as Santa Lucía and San Cristóbal, while Chena, Calán, and Renca are in the process of expansion.
The almost three centuries of Spanish domination of what is now known as Chile defined an austere colonial architecture on the grid plan of Santiago: one or two-story houses, adobe walls, tile roofs, and rooms around interior corridors and patios.
After the Chilean independence process that started in 1810—and thanks to the exploitation of saltpeter, copper, and coal during the mid-century— the new republic and its elite promoted a Neoclassical architecture that reflected the economic and cultural transformations that Chile was experiencing. This included the civilizing urban project of Santiago promoted by Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna between 1872 and 1875.
