Chiloe Island
HISTORY OF CASTRO CITY
Castro City is the capital of the Chiloe Province in the lake region (Los Lagos). Castro is the third oldest city in continued existence within Chile. It dates back to 1567 when Martin Ruiz de Gamboa conquered the island and established a city. From that time to 1767, Castro was the administrative center of Chiloe Island. In 1594, there were about 8,000 inhabitants who were mostly farmers. There were several times when Dutch pirates raided the island up to the 17th century. In 1767, during the Bourbon Reforms (nothing to do with whisky but the House of Bourbon in Spain) tried to modernize Spanish control of their empire and at that time Chiloe was placed under control of the Viceroyality of Peru.
At that time, the capital was moved from Castro City to a more northern city on the island, named Ancud. It served as capital until 1982. In 1837, Castro was destroyed by an earthquake and the number of inhabitants fell to around 1,200 BY 1907.
A railroad line was established between Castro and Ancud in 1912 and this helped the city develop better. By 1960, there were 7,000 inhabitants and the city was restored as capital in 1982. By 2002, there are nearly 40,000 people living in Castro City.
HISTORY OF CASTRO CITY
Castro City is the capital of the Chiloe Province in the lake region (Los Lagos). Castro is the third oldest city in continued existence within Chile. It dates back to 1567 when Martin Ruiz de Gamboa conquered the island and established a city. From that time to 1767, Castro was the administrative center of Chiloe Island. In 1594, there were about 8,000 inhabitants who were mostly farmers. There were several times when Dutch pirates raided the island up to the 17th century. In 1767, during the Bourbon Reforms (nothing to do with whisky but the House of Bourbon in Spain) tried to modernize Spanish control of their empire and at that time Chiloe was placed under control of the Viceroyality of Peru.
At that time, the capital was moved from Castro City to a more northern city on the island, named Ancud. It served as capital until 1982. In 1837, Castro was destroyed by an earthquake and the number of inhabitants fell to around 1,200 BY 1907.
A railroad line was established between Castro and Ancud in 1912 and this helped the city develop better. By 1960, there were 7,000 inhabitants and the city was restored as capital in 1982. By 2002, there are nearly 40,000 people living in Castro City.
Palifitos or “stilt houses” of Castro.
Places to see:
Palifitos
Ignesia San Francisco
The church’s design is the work of Italian architect Eduardo Provasoli, and rather than the typical style of the other churches of Chiloé, the Church of San Francisco's style is Neo-Gothic.[4] The church was built by carpenters from Chiloé under supervision from Salvador Sierpe.
In the structures, the carpenters used wood from the area such as the alerce, cypress, coigüe and other native wood. The interiors are made of Rauli Beech and olivillo; however the facade, roof and exterior lining are sheets of galvanized iron.[5]
Inside the church is an image of the Archangel Michael victorious over Satan, an image of Saint Alberto Hurtado and a replica of the image of Jesus found in the Church of Caguach in Quinchao, Chiloé.
Its facade is often painted with bright colours, making it a highlight of Castro’s Plaza de Armas.[6]
Plazuela del Tren-collection of old trains
Cemeterio Parroquial - Old tombs. A pleasant place for a stroll
Feria Campesina Yumbel - Market (Good for buying handknitted wooled goods and handicrafts)
Cafe Blanco - good place to eat at reasonable prices.
=====================================
Today was a very long travel day to Chiloe Island. Our drive, Hernnon and our guide, Javier, picked us up at our hotel at 8 am. He wanted to get an early start to avoid rush hour traffic.
Chiloe is a Malpuche word meaning Seagulls. To get to the island, you have to take a 1/2 hour ferry ride. There are plans to build a cross-channel bridge and there is even the start of one pier in the water but there have been delays as tests for stability take place. This may take another eight years.
Arriving on the island, we first drove to Chacoa where we visited our first wooden church. In the Chiloé archipelago off the coast of Chile are about 70 churches built within the framework of a “Circular Mission” introduced by the Jesuits in the 17th century and continued by the Franciscans in the 18th and 19th centuries. These churches are outstanding examples of the successful fusion of European and indigenous cultural traditions. The abilities of the people of Chiloé as builders achieved its highest expression in these wooden churches, where farmers, fishermen and sailors exhibited great expertise in the handling of the most abundant material in this environment, wood. Along with the churches, the mestizo culture resulting from Jesuit missionary activities has survived to the present day.
Notice the ceiling that looks like an inverted ship hull.
Palifitos
Ignesia San Francisco
The church’s design is the work of Italian architect Eduardo Provasoli, and rather than the typical style of the other churches of Chiloé, the Church of San Francisco's style is Neo-Gothic.[4] The church was built by carpenters from Chiloé under supervision from Salvador Sierpe.
In the structures, the carpenters used wood from the area such as the alerce, cypress, coigüe and other native wood. The interiors are made of Rauli Beech and olivillo; however the facade, roof and exterior lining are sheets of galvanized iron.[5]
Inside the church is an image of the Archangel Michael victorious over Satan, an image of Saint Alberto Hurtado and a replica of the image of Jesus found in the Church of Caguach in Quinchao, Chiloé.
Its facade is often painted with bright colours, making it a highlight of Castro’s Plaza de Armas.[6]
Plazuela del Tren-collection of old trains
Cemeterio Parroquial - Old tombs. A pleasant place for a stroll
Feria Campesina Yumbel - Market (Good for buying handknitted wooled goods and handicrafts)
Cafe Blanco - good place to eat at reasonable prices.
=====================================
Today was a very long travel day to Chiloe Island. Our drive, Hernnon and our guide, Javier, picked us up at our hotel at 8 am. He wanted to get an early start to avoid rush hour traffic.
Chiloe is a Malpuche word meaning Seagulls. To get to the island, you have to take a 1/2 hour ferry ride. There are plans to build a cross-channel bridge and there is even the start of one pier in the water but there have been delays as tests for stability take place. This may take another eight years.
Arriving on the island, we first drove to Chacoa where we visited our first wooden church. In the Chiloé archipelago off the coast of Chile are about 70 churches built within the framework of a “Circular Mission” introduced by the Jesuits in the 17th century and continued by the Franciscans in the 18th and 19th centuries. These churches are outstanding examples of the successful fusion of European and indigenous cultural traditions. The abilities of the people of Chiloé as builders achieved its highest expression in these wooden churches, where farmers, fishermen and sailors exhibited great expertise in the handling of the most abundant material in this environment, wood. Along with the churches, the mestizo culture resulting from Jesuit missionary activities has survived to the present day.
Notice the ceiling that looks like an inverted ship hull.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/971
This isolated archipelago of Chiloe (the place of seagulls) was colonized by the Spanish in the mid 16th century. The Jesuits, who arrived in 1608, used a circulating mission system in their evangelization of the area: religious groups made annual tours around the archipelago, staying for a few days at locations where churches were erected jointly with the communities of believers. The rest of the year a specially trained layperson attended the spiritual needs of the inhabitants. The construction techniques and architecture of the churches of Chiloé are specific to this locale: European experience was adapted and reformulated, giving rise to a tradition of common people, supported by a great quantity and variety of testimonies which are still in use. Along with the culture of the archipelago, these churches are the result of a rich and extensive cross-cultural dialogue and interaction.
Along with their basic architectural design (tower façade, basilican layout and vaulted ceiling), these sixteen churches are significant for their building material, their construction systems and the expertise demonstrated by the Chilote carpenters, as well as for their interior decoration, particularly the traditional colours and the religious images. The churches are distinguished by an indigenous tradition of building in wood strongly influenced by boat-building techniques, as shown by the forms and jointing of the tower and roof structures. The orientation and location of the churches is deliberate: constructed according to the demands of the sea, they were arranged on hills to be seen by navigators and to prevent flooding. Their associated esplanades remain important components: they embody communication with the sea; they are the scenes of religious festivals; and even those that have been transformed into formal plazas still evoke the arrival of the missionaries during their circulating mission. Devotional and communitarian practices, religious festivals and supportive group activities such as minga (unpaid community work) are key components of the intangible values of the relationship between the communities and the churches. Also of importance is the subsoil of the churches, which one day may reveal information about the relationship between the locations of the churches and pre-Hispanic indigenous ritual sites.
Wooden Churches - UNESCO Heritage site http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/971
This isolated archipelago of Chiloe (the place of seagulls) was colonized by the Spanish in the mid 16th century. The Jesuits, who arrived in 1608, used a circulating mission system in their evangelization of the area: religious groups made annual tours around the archipelago, staying for a few days at locations where churches were erected jointly with the communities of believers. The rest of the year a specially trained layperson attended the spiritual needs of the inhabitants. The construction techniques and architecture of the churches of Chiloé are specific to this locale: European experience was adapted and reformulated, giving rise to a tradition of common people, supported by a great quantity and variety of testimonies which are still in use. Along with the culture of the archipelago, these churches are the result of a rich and extensive cross-cultural dialogue and interaction.
Along with their basic architectural design (tower façade, basilican layout and vaulted ceiling), these sixteen churches are significant for their building material, their construction systems and the expertise demonstrated by the Chilote carpenters, as well as for their interior decoration, particularly the traditional colours and the religious images. The churches are distinguished by an indigenous tradition of building in wood strongly influenced by boat-building techniques, as shown by the forms and jointing of the tower and roof structures. The orientation and location of the churches is deliberate: constructed according to the demands of the sea, they were arranged on hills to be seen by navigators and to prevent flooding. Their associated esplanades remain important components: they embody communication with the sea; they are the scenes of religious festivals; and even those that have been transformed into formal plazas still evoke the arrival of the missionaries during their circulating mission. Devotional and communitarian practices, religious festivals and supportive group activities such as minga (unpaid community work) are key components of the intangible values of the relationship between the communities and the churches. Also of importance is the subsoil of the churches, which one day may reveal information about the relationship between the locations of the churches and pre-Hispanic indigenous ritual sites.
Wooden Churches - UNESCO Heritage site http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/971
Boat Anchor Made of Wood
San Francisco Wooden Church
It is interesting that there was a fire in the building next door. The firemen chose to protect the church with a wall of water and to let the other building burn down because that building had insurance and the church was historical.
Artesian shops.
The Amud is a box used for measuring produce, much like we use a bushel basket as a measure of produce in the USA.
Artesian shops.
The Amud is a box used for measuring produce, much like we use a bushel basket as a measure of produce in the USA.
Moving from Ancud to Castro, the capital city, we come to the historic colorful fisherman houses used long ago. They are stilt houses known as palafitos.
This was a long travel day of about 500 Km (about 300 miles) but wheter or not it is the trip for you depends on wheter or not you want to see this historical areas of Patagonia. A friend we met in Puerto Varas, is going with a travel group that is visiting typical school and having a traditional meal (Curantos) of seafood and vegetables prepared from hot coals in the ground that cook the ingredients while covered with leaves. This is similar to the Pachamanca style in Peru.
https://youtu.be/X26shjEGjos
I personally would not choose this trip if I had known in advance what we would see.
https://youtu.be/X26shjEGjos
I personally would not choose this trip if I had known in advance what we would see.