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26-584: With 128 m high and 18 floors, it was after the end of its construction in 1974, the highest architectural structure in the country, a title it kept until the inauguration of the Telefonica Tower in 1996 with 143 m. Already surpassed in height by other buildings, it continues being the structure of greater prominence in the commune of Santiago, being located next to the Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins and to

52-622: A block of the La Moneda Palace , adding to the rationale behind its iconic status in the city. Its design represents a torch, an ancient form of telecommunication. Its construction began during the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva , on July 1, 1970, as part of the National Telecommunications Center. After four years of construction, the Tower reached its current height on August 30, 1974. Its structure

78-550: A foundation weight of 2000 t. 33°26′41″S 70°39′22″W  /  33.44472°S 70.65611°W  / -33.44472; -70.65611 La Moneda Palace Palacio de La Moneda ( Spanish: [paˈlasjo ðe la moˈneða] , Palace of the Mint ), or simply La Moneda , is the seat of the president of the Republic of Chile . It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior , General Secretariat of

104-599: A presidential residence. During the military coup d'état on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Air Force strafed the palace with unguided rockets and automatic cannon fire. The president Salvador Allende died in the palace at this time. Restoration projects of the damage caused were completed in March 1981, although some bullet marks have been preserved and can still be seen today. During the 1973–1980 restorations, an underground office complex (the so-called "bunker")

130-402: A range of exhibitions on Chilean culture and history. 33°26′35″S 70°39′14″W  /  33.443018°S 70.653870°W  / -33.443018; -70.653870 Plaza de la Constituci%C3%B3n (Santiago de Chile) The Plaza de la Constitución (English: Constitution Square ) is a plaza occupying a full square block in the heart of the civic district of Santiago, Chile . It

156-544: Is intended to display weather information and news. For Chileans, the Entel Tower has become a true symbol. Its image, visible from the farthest points of the capital, is a must for photographic postcards or a common point of reference. On November 12, 2019, and as part of the series of protests in Chile, the base of the tower was looted and vandalized by unknown persons. The Entel Tower is 127.40 m high from its base and

182-580: Is located at the intersection of the Alameda del Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins and Amunátegui, next to the La Moneda station of the Santiago Metro as this is a strategic place due to the proximity of the sites where connections to the urban telephone network are made. The tower has 9,000 m3 with a diameter of 22 m, a total of 2,700 m3 of concrete, a surface area of 1,643 m2, a weight of 8620 t and

208-586: Is located in front of the northern facade of the Palacio de la Moneda and is surrounded by other government buildings such as those housing the Ministry of Finance , Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Ministry of Justice ( Edificio del Seguro Obrero ), Banco Central de Chile and the Intendencia de Santiago . The square is bounded by Moneda Street on the south, Morandé Street on the east, Agustinas Street on

234-701: The Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins or “Alameda”. Construction began in May 2004 and the plaza was inaugurated in December 2005. Designed by Undurraga Devés Arquitectos, the Plaza de la Ciudadanía has been called “one of the most important public works in the last century” by Chile's Plataforma Arquitectura website. Paths leading down from the plaza give access to the underground Palacio de La Moneda Cultural Center , which hosts

260-408: The 1930s. The square was planted with trees but was virtually used as a parking lot into the 1970s. After repairs of the damage caused in 1973 to La Moneda was completed in the early 1980s, the square was rebuilt to a design by Cristián Undurraga and Ana Luisa Devés , completed in 1983. Paths, grass, trees, a paved area, and underground parking, were built, and the statue of Portales was relocated to

286-471: The Alameda Avenue, the main street of Santiago. The project was designed by Josué Smith strictly following the design of the original construction. The three-floor annex was built using part of the original construction that was occupied until that date by the mint, which was relocated to a site adjacent to Quinta Normal Park . In 1940, a former mint pavilion, part of the original design of Toesca,

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312-766: The Palacio de la Moneda. Works on the building started in 1784, with building materials arriving the following year from around Chile and the world: limestone from the Polpaico country estate; sand from the Maipo River ; red stones from a quarry at the Cerro San Cristóbal in Santiago; white stone from the neighbouring Cerro Blanco ; oak and cypress wood from Valdivia ; Spanish metal works from Vizcaya . Twenty varieties of brick were baked in Santiago for

338-516: The Patio de los Cañones, which functions as an entrance hall; a covered patio; and finally the Patio de los Naranjos, where presidential ceremonies take place. The architecture website ARQHYS.com states that the Palacio de la Moneda is “the only structure in the pure Italian neoclassical style that exists in Latin America .” The building has been subject to several modifications throughout

364-704: The Presidency, and General Secretariat of the Government . Located in downtown Santiago , it occupies an entire block in the Civic District, bordered by Moneda street to the north, Morandé street to the east, Alameda del Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins to the south, and Teatinos street to the west. La Moneda, was the colonial mint house of the city during colonial times, was designed by the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca . Construction began in 1784 and

390-542: The Santiago-Mendoza terrestrial, the southern and northern National Trunk networks operate there, and it interconnects the public long-distance telephone, telex, television and radio broadcasting services. On the night of December 31, 2009, the largest LED screen in South America was inaugurated and installed at the top of the tower to mark the "Bicentennial New Year". The screen has 320 square meters and

416-460: The construction of lintels, comers, floors, moldings, and of the solid walls more than a meter thick. Toesca died in 1799, before seeing his work finished, and military engineer Agustin Cavallero took over the project. The “Mint House of Santiago de Chile” finally opened in 1805. In 1929, an annex was commissioned the then President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo to give the palace a facade to face

442-603: The interconnection of Entel's telephone, television, radio and microwave network services with those of the Chilean Telephone Company (currently Movistar) and with the north, center and south of the country and the province of Mendoza, Argentina. In addition, it is connected to the Longovilo Satellite Communications Ground Station. Currently, all the equipment that carries international traffic via satellite,

468-499: The north, and Teatinos Street on the west. From early days there was a small plaza in front of La Moneda, with a statue of Diego Portales and two fountains, with the Ministry of War opposite. With the appearance of tall buildings in the streets around the Ministry in the late 1920s including some large government buildings, it was decided to clear the entire block. More large government ministries followed either side of La Moneda in

494-425: The palace since the early 20th century. It was eliminated during the restoration of the palace as not being in the original plans, but was restored because of the heavy symbolism attached to it as being the gate through which Chilean Presidents entered La Moneda skipping the main's gate guard protocol or, in other words, as ordinary citizens of the country. It was also the gate through which the body of President Allende

520-491: The square, and much pomp and circumstance. The Carabineros de Chile provides the guard unit and band for the ceremony, the guard unit being composed of a Foot Guards battalion and a Horse Guards squadron. Joaquín Toesca had worked on many public buildings in colonial Chile , including the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral , before he was engaged to design the new royal mint that would become

546-522: The years, made by different presidents. The last great restoration of the building was carried out after the 1973 military coup , when large portions of the building were destroyed or damaged. To celebrate the bicentenary of Chile's independence in 2010, a new public square called the Plaza de la Ciudadanía (‘’Citizenry Square’’ in Spanish) was constructed on the south side of the palace stretching down to

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572-416: Was built under the front square to provide a safe escape for the dictator Augusto Pinochet in case of an attack. Under the presidency of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle , the palace was painted white. During President Ricardo Lagos 's administration, the palace's inner courtyards were opened to the public during certain hours of the day. Lagos also re-opened Morandé 80 —a gate used by Chilean presidents to enter

598-543: Was demolished to make way for the Patio de los Naranjos. The Palacio de la Moneda is built in a pure neoclassical style with Roman Doric influences. The building's wide, horizontal shape and rectangular composition conveys strength and stability, according to the palace's listing on the UNESCO website. Its main façade faces Moneda street, and its rooms are distributed along the transverse and longitudinal axes forming several patios . Behind this façade lie three patios:

624-545: Was influenced by the Post Office Tower in London , which had been built a few years earlier. Later, on September 8, 1975, two satellite dishes were installed, which were the first telecommunications elements visible from the outside, and finally, on April 12, 1976, the telephone channels came into service. From that moment on, the Entel Tower became the vital nucleus of the country's communications system by allowing

650-421: Was opened in 1805. The production of coins in Chile took place at La Moneda from 1814 to 1929. In June 1845 during president Manuel Bulnes 's administration, the palace became the seat of government and presidential residence. In 1930, a public square—named Plaza de la Constitución ("Constitution Square")—was built in front of the palace. After the presidency of Gabriel González Videla it ceased to serve as

676-417: Was taken out after the 1973 coup. A traditional changing of the guard ceremony takes place every two days on odd-numbered days in odd-numbered months, even-numbered days in even-numbered months, including Sundays, at 10 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends (as of June 2015). A formal ceremony dating back to the 1850s, it lasts about 30 minutes and includes a band playing, troops with horses parading into

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