Located in the heart of the Andes Mountains, Santiago was founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia and is Chile's capital city; it is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city of over 5 million people, steeped in history that dates from the native Indians to the Spanish conquistadors. We begin our tour at the Civic Center, the busy city center that includes the former Presidential Palace, Palacio de la Moneda that was first built as the Royal Mint, which explains its name; the Plaza de la Constitucion, Constitution Square, which is surrounded by important public buildings and includes a monument of Diego Portales, one of the country's most important statesmen; the Plaza de Armas, the civic nucleus of the country, and home to the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Natural History Museum, the Town Hall, and the Central Post Office. Estacion Central, the Central Railway Station, opened in 1900 and consists of two beautiful buildings linked by an enormous metal cupola, made in the Schneider factory, in Creuzot, France. We journey 90 miles south to the Hacienda Los Lingues, an authentic colonial hacienda owned by the same family for over 4 centuries; it is one of the oldest and most representative estates of its era, part of the Angostura Estate, which was given to the first Mayor of Santiago in 1599 by King Phillip III in recognition of his valuable service.
