Chillán Viejo
Encyclopedia
Chillán Viejo is a city and commune (Spanish
: comuna) in the Ñuble Province
of Chile
's eighth region of Biobío (VIII Región de Biobío). According to the 2002 census, the population of the commune was 22,084 and it has an area of 292 sqkm.
fort with the name of San Ildefonso, established in 1565, during the campaign of Pedro de Villagra
against Loble
and the Mapuche
north of the Biobío River. Ordered in 1579 to establish a city at the site by Governor
Rodrigo de Quiroga
, Martin Ruiz de Gamboa
founded the city on June 25, 1580 after replacing Quiroga as governor following his death. He gave it the name San Bartolomé de Chillán y Gamboa and populated it with 50 Spaniards
and 60 more in the fort. It suffered a number of attacks before it was destroyed by the Mapuche in 1599 after the Disaster of Curalaba
. Governor Francisco de Quiñónez
immediately repaired it in April 1599. Later, in 1655, the same Mapuche and the neighboring Pehuenche
s forced the citizens to abandon it again. When it was again reoccupied, it was demolished by an earthquake on March 15, 1657. It was repopulated again in 1663, under Ángel de Saldia. The earthquake of May 25, 1751
, that ruined old Concepcion
, also damaged the city, aggravated considerably by a simultaneous extraordinary flooding of the Chillán River
. This forced its transfer two years later to the site that it occupies today.
It acquired some fame during the Chilean War of Independence, especially in the Siege of Chillan
from July 15 to August 12, 1813, after the death in her (May 21 of that year) of the Spanish leader, Antonio Pareja, and it was sacked by the royalist montoneras of Pincheira on September 18, 1819. It became the capital of the Chillán Department and after it was ruined in the earthquake of February 20, 1835, most of its population was moved 3 km (2 mi) to the northeast to form the present city of Chillán
.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Chillán Viejo spans an area of 291.8 sqkm and has 22,084 inhabitants (10,791 men and 11,293 women). Of these, 18,827 (85.3%) lived in urban area
s and 3,257 (14.7%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 32.1% (5,369 persons). The demonym
for a person from Chillán Viejo is Chillanvejano or Chillanvejana for a woman.
Notable Chillanvejanos
Chillán Viejo was the birthplace of Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán
in 1607 and Bernardo O'Higgins
in 1778.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Felipe Alwin Lagos (Ind.
). The municipal council has the following members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Chillán Viejo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Carlos Abel Jarpa (PRSD) and Rosauro Martínez (RN
) as part of the 41st electoral district, (together with Chillán
, Coihueco
, Pinto
, San Ignacio
, El Carmen
, Pemuco
and Yungay
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Victor Pérez Varela (UDI) and Mariano Ruiz-Esquide Jara (PDC
) as part of the 13th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Coast).
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: comuna) in the Ñuble Province
Ñuble Province
Ñuble Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . It spans an area of and is administratively constituted by 21 communes. It has a population of 441,604 inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Chillán.-History:...
of 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 eighth region of Biobío (VIII Región de Biobío). According to the 2002 census, the population of the commune was 22,084 and it has an area of 292 sqkm.
History
Originally Chillán Viejo was the location of a SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
fort with the name of San Ildefonso, established in 1565, during the campaign of Pedro de Villagra
Pedro de Villagra
Pedro de Villagra y Martínez was a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Chile, being appointed its Royal Governor between 1563 and 1565....
against Loble
Loble
Loble , also known as Lig-lemu or Lillemu, was the Mapuche vice-toqui of the Moluche north of the Bio-Bio River who led the second Mapuche revolt during the Arauco War....
and the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
north of the Biobío River. Ordered in 1579 to establish a city at the site by Governor
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
Rodrigo de Quiroga
Rodrigo de Quiroga
Rodrigo de Quiroga López de Ulloa was a Spanish conquistador of Galician origin. He was twice the Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:...
, Martin Ruiz de Gamboa
Martín Ruiz de Gamboa
Martín Ruiz de Gamboa de Berriz was a Spanish Basque conquistador, and served as a Royal Governor of Chile.-Early years:He was born in Durango, Biscay, the son of Andrés Ruiz de Gamboa and Nafarra de Berriz, and served as a youth in the royal navy in the Levant...
founded the city on June 25, 1580 after replacing Quiroga as governor following his death. He gave it the name San Bartolomé de Chillán y Gamboa and populated it with 50 Spaniards
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
and 60 more in the fort. It suffered a number of attacks before it was destroyed by the Mapuche in 1599 after the Disaster of Curalaba
Disaster of Curalaba
The Disaster of Curalaba is the name given to a battle between Spanish conquerors led by Martín García Óñez de Loyola and Mapuche people led by Pelantaru on a place called Curalaba , in southern Chile...
. Governor Francisco de Quiñónez
Francisco de Quiñónez
Francisco de Quiñónez ; Spanish soldier who was appointed as governor of Chile for thirteen months, between May 1599 and June 1600....
immediately repaired it in April 1599. Later, in 1655, the same Mapuche and the neighboring Pehuenche
Pehuenche
Pehuenches are an indigenous people that are part of the Mapuche peoples and live in the Andes in south central Chile and Argentina. Their name derives from their habit of harvesting of piñones, the seeds of the Araucaria araucana or pehuén...
s forced the citizens to abandon it again. When it was again reoccupied, it was demolished by an earthquake on March 15, 1657. It was repopulated again in 1663, under Ángel de Saldia. The earthquake of May 25, 1751
1751 Concepción earthquake
The 1751 Concepción earthquake was one of the strongest and most destructive recorded quakes in Chilean history. It struck the Central Valley of the country, destroying the cities of Concepción, Chillán, Cauquenes, Curicó and Talca, probably on May 24, 1751, although there is currently a debate...
, that ruined old Concepcion
Penco
Penco is a Chilean city and commune in Concepción Province, Biobío Region on the Bay of Concepción. Founded as the city of Concepción del Nuevo Extremo on February 12, 1550 by Pedro de Valdivia, it is the third oldest city in the country after Santiago founded first in 1541 and La Serena second...
, also damaged the city, aggravated considerably by a simultaneous extraordinary flooding of the Chillán River
Chillán River
Chillán River is a river of the Bío-Bío Region of Chile....
. This forced its transfer two years later to the site that it occupies today.
It acquired some fame during the Chilean War of Independence, especially in the Siege of Chillan
Siege of Chillan
The Siege of Chillán occurred July 27 to August 10, 1813, as patriot forces attempted to dislodge a determined band of royalist defenders. The failure of José Miguel Carrera to take the city would contribute to his removal from office by the junta later in the campaign.-Background:The city of...
from July 15 to August 12, 1813, after the death in her (May 21 of that year) of the Spanish leader, Antonio Pareja, and it was sacked by the royalist montoneras of Pincheira on September 18, 1819. It became the capital of the Chillán Department and after it was ruined in the earthquake of February 20, 1835, most of its population was moved 3 km (2 mi) to the northeast to form the present city of Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
.
Demographics
According to the 2002 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of the National Statistics Institute
National Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
, Chillán Viejo spans an area of 291.8 sqkm and has 22,084 inhabitants (10,791 men and 11,293 women). Of these, 18,827 (85.3%) lived in urban area
Urban 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 3,257 (14.7%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 32.1% (5,369 persons). The demonym
Demonym
A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...
for a person from Chillán Viejo is Chillanvejano or Chillanvejana for a woman.
Notable Chillanvejanos
Chillán Viejo was the birthplace of Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán
Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán
Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán Chilean writer and soldier. In 1629 he participated in an expedition to defeat the Mapuche, but, during the Battle of Las Cangrejeras, he was taken prisoner by the cacique Maulicán, who kept him captive for seven months...
in 1607 and Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
in 1778.
Administration
As a commune, Chillán Viejo is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal councilMunicipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
, headed by an 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...
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Felipe Alwin Lagos (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...
). The municipal council has the following members:
- Pablo Pérez Arostizaga (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...
) - Susana Martínez Cornejo (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...
) - Rodolfo Gasmuri Sanchez (ILF)
- Jorge Del Pozo Pastenes (PRSDSocial Democrat Radical PartyThe Social Democratic Radical Party is a social democratic party in Chile.The party is a member of Socialist International....
) - Verónica Knothe Badilla (PDC)
- Rodrigo Arzola Helo (RN)
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Chillán Viejo 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 Carlos Abel Jarpa (PRSD) and Rosauro Martínez (RN
National 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...
) as part of the 41st electoral district, (together with Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
, Coihueco
Coihueco
Coihueco is a Chilean commune and city in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. It is located near Chillán, the provincial capital. Coihueco borders San Carlos and San Fabián on the north, Argentina on the east, Pinto on the South, and Chillán on the west....
, Pinto
Pinto, Chile
Pinto is a Chilean town and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. It is bordered by the commune of Coihueco to the north, Chillán and San Ignacio to the west, and El Carmen and Antuco to the south...
, San Ignacio
San Ignacio, Chile
San Ignacio is a Chilean town and commune located in the Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. It spans an area of .-Demographics:According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, San Ignacio had 16,106 inhabitants; of these, 4,873 lived in urban areas and 11,233 in rural areas. At that...
, El Carmen
El Carmen
-Colombia:*El Carmen, Santander a municipality in the Santander Department*El Carmen de Atrato, a municipality in the Chocó Department*El Carmen, Norte de Santander, a municipality in the Norte de Santander Department...
, Pemuco
Pemuco
Pemuco is a Chilean town and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Pemuco spans an area of and has 8,821 inhabitants . Of these, 3,844 lived in urban areas and 4,977 in rural areas...
and Yungay
Yungay, Chile
Yungay is a Chilean town and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, the Yungay commune had 16,814 inhabitants; of these, 11,469 lived in urban areas and 5,345 in rural areas. At that...
). 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 Victor Pérez Varela (UDI) and Mariano Ruiz-Esquide Jara (PDC
Christian Democratic Party
Christian 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...
) as part of the 13th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Coast).