Posada del Corregidor

The Posada del Corregidor is a special building at the corner of Corregidor Zañartu and Esmeralda streets in downtown Santiago, Chile. It was named a National Historic Monument in 1970. This means people work to protect the building because it is important and helps us learn about the past. Today, the Posada del Corregidor reminds us of the history and culture of the area.

History

The house was built in the mid-1700s and became known as La Filarmónica in the 1800s because of a ballroom added in 1830. In 1928, Darío Zañartu bought the property to remember the colonial era. He named it Posada del Corregidor after corregidor Luis Manuel de Zañartu. Thanks to his efforts, a small square with a fountain was created next to the house.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the Posada del Corregidor was a lively spot in Santiago, with a bar and ballrooms. Later, it was sold to the Banco del Trabajo in 1979, which restored it. By 1985, it was given to the municipality of Santiago to serve as a cultural center. It hosted many events, from art exhibitions to literary meetings. The second floor was damaged in the 2010 Chile earthquake, so work began in late 2012 to fix it up, adding a coffee shop and an art gallery in the basement.

Description

The Posada del Corregidor is a two-story building with a simple rectangular shape. It has a special balcony that sticks out from the wall and is supported by carved wooden beams. The balcony has an open wooden railing and helps hold up the roof above. The original entrance had two wooden doors separated by a stone column, and the walls are made from a special kind of mud brick called adobe. The roof is covered with traditional Spanish colonial tiles.