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One of the most recognizable buildings in Santiago is Palacio de La Moneda. It’s the presidential headquarters of Chile, and was built between 1784-1799 by the Spanish as a mint.
La Moneda was the actual presidential residence for several years from the mid 19th century until 1958. It served as a mint until 1929. The palace was heavily damaged by the military coup in 1973 when it was bombed by the Chilean Air Force.
Tours of La Moneda
I was able to visit La Moneda for a guided tour one morning. Tours can be requested by filling out a form on the official government website well in advance. There’s no cost and tours are currently provided Monday through Thursday at 3pm and 4:30pm and Friday at 3pm for up to 15 people (as of May 2024). Tours last about 50 minutes.
Security
Taking the metro to the La Moneda stop, I arrived at Palacio de La Moneda at 9:30am for my tour and checked in with security. I was expecting very serious and unfriendly security, but both the palace guards and Carabineros were very friendly and greeted me with smiles. I wasn’t expecting this level of accessibility and courtesy. They scanned my backpack, took my passport, and led me to a waiting room.
Patio of the Oranges
I met my guide, Francisco, and we began the tour of the palace in the Patio of the Oranges (Patio de los Naranjos), named for the orange trees planted there. In the middle of the patio is a fountain brought from Peru in the 16th century for the purpose of supplying water from the Río Mapocho to citizens. This patio was where the mint stood until it was demolished in 1929.
Patio of the Cannons
Next, we visited the Patio of the Cannons (Patio de los Cañones), named for two canons made in 1778, Lightning and Fury. The gate on this patio is where the president of Chile and dignitaries enter the palace. The president’s offices also overlook the patio.
Patio of the Canelos
The smaller Patio of the Canelos (Patio de los Canelos), is surrounded by Mapuche totems and a sacred canelo tree. The Mapuche are an indigenous group native to Chile. This patio is also the part of the palace that sustained most of the damage from bombing during the 1973 military coup. Salvador Allende, president during the coup, committed suicide in one of the rooms overlooking the patio.
In a small room attached to the patio, the presidential coins are on display. Each coin has two sides, one with the face of the president, and the other the seat of government.
Rooms in the Palace
After the patios, I was able to see some of the important rooms of the palace. First, we visited the O’Higgins Room (Salón O’Higgins). This is where the president greets official guests and ambassadors. It’s named after Bernardo O’Higgins, the founder of independent Chile.
The attached room is the smaller Pedro de Valdivia Room (Salón Pedro de Valdivia), the official waiting room of the palace. It’s named for the founder of Santiago, Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia.
The final room I was able to visit was the Montt-Varas Room (Salón Montt-Varas). Press conferences and state dinners are given here. It was named after a president of Chile, Manuel Montt, and important politician Antonio Varas.
When the tour finished, Francisco returned me to the entrance where I was given my passport. The tour gave me a very interesting look into the politics of Chile and it was well worth the time and effort to visit.
Outside La Moneda
After the tour, I explored the area around the palace. Each side of La Moneda has a plaza. On the side of the main entrance is Constitution Square (Plaza de la Constitución), with rows of Chilean flags and statues of leaders of Chile. One statue is dedicated to Salvador Allende. On the back entrance is Citizen Square (Plaza de la Ciadudanía) with a large fountain and lawn.
Palacio de La Moneda Cultural Center
The entrance to the Palacio de La Moneda Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Palacio de La Moneda) is at Citizenship Square. It’s a museum that was founded in 2006 in the former basement of La Moneda. Adult admission is CLP$2,500 (as of May 2024) and expositions are open daily except Mondays from 10am to 7pm.
There are two galleries with rotating exhibits containing modern art, classical paintings, video installations, and some sculptures. I found one of the exhibits interesting, but the architecture was more interesting than the actual exhibits.
Chancellery
Next to La Moneda is the Chancellery (Cancillería). It currently holds the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, but was formerly the Hotel Carrera from 1940 to 2003. Journalists watched the bombing of La Moneda from there in 1973.
