La Moneda government palace

This Historical monument is one of the most important and attractive buildings in the country, and the symbol of the Civic Neighborhood of Santiago. 

A little history ...

Its original destiny was to be the Royal Mint, that is the reason for its current name. Its construction took place between 1784 and 1805, and was led by the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca. 

Toesca could not see his work completed, because he died in 1799. His work was continued by the military engineer Agustín Cavallero. In 1805 and with some completions missing, Governor Luis Muñoz de Guzmán inaugurated the Royal Mint of Santiago de Chile, considered by some specialists as the best and most harmonious civil building in Colonial America.

The building has 40 rooms and in 1846, President Manuel Bulnes decided to allocate a sector of La Moneda for the residence of the presidents, being the first president to live in the building. In 1958, President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo was the last to live in the building. Currently the president of the republic only goes to work and has another residence. The Palace is organized around four interior patios and is built entirely with brick masonry and lime mortar.

The last major restoration that was carried out was due to the destruction caused by the military coup of 1973. This restoration culminated in 1981 and sought to restore the original conception of Toesca. 

What to see in La Moneda?

The La Moneda Palace can be visited from the outside and tour the surroundings such as the Plaza de la Constitución and Plaza de la Ciudadanía. On one side is the La Moneda Cultural Center., which is open from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m., and has various and interesting arts exhibitions and cultural activities. 

To get here we recommend the Plaza de la Constitución Stop on our Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus or the Santiago La Moneda Metro station (Line 1). 

Website: CCLM CL 

Entrada: Free.

Location: Calle Moneda 1202 – 1298, Santiago.