Chillán (Spanish pronunciation:[tʃiˈʝan]) is the capital
city of
Ñuble Region,
Diguillín Province,
Chile, located about 400 km (249 mi) south of the country's capital,
Santiago,[5] near the center of the country. It has been the capital of the new
Ñuble Region since 6 September 2015. Within the city is a railway station, an
intercity bus terminal named María Teresa, and a regimental military base. The city features a modern, enclosed shopping centre in addition to the Chillán Market, an iconic multi-block, open-air
farmers' market and street fair where fruits, vegetables, crafts, clothing and other goods are sold. The nearby mountains, such as in
Laguna del Laja National Park (
Spanish: Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja) and the Nevados de Chillán (
English: 'snowy peaks of Chillán') are popular destinations for
skiing, hiking and
hot springs.
Founded by the
Spanish in 1580, the city withstood numerous early attacks by the indigenous
Mapuche and
Pehuenche, among other peoples, who were vehemently
opposed to Spanish colonialism. Over time, Chillán became an important marketplace and meeting-point for the descendants of these Mapuche and Pehuenche, along with
Mestizos and
Criollos, to meet. Many goods from
Patagonia and the
Argentine Pampas were brought into Chillán across the mountain passes of the area. In the early 19th century, the countryside of Chillán was ravaged by the
Chilean War of Independence and a subsequent
banditry epidemic.[6] In 1939, the city was devastated by
a large earthquake, prompting the government to initiate an extensive reconstruction program.
History
The zone where Chillán was built was previously inhabited by indigenous people called
Chiquillanes.[7]
Chillán was founded in 1580 at the site of
Chillán Viejo as San Bartolomé de Chillán by
Martín Ruiz de Gamboa,[9]
who was campaigning against the local indigenous peoples at the time, but this moniker did not fare well, and was replaced by the current name, which in the local Indian language means "where the Sun is sitting".
During the
Mapuche uprising of 1655, the city was besieged by Mapuche warriors.[10] The Spanish defended the city from trenches and a palisade fort.[10][11] Hoping for a miracle, the Spaniards put an image of Mary near the trenches, against which Mapuches are said to have shot arrows.[10] In early March, about one month after the onset of uprising, distress was such that the Spaniards abandoned the city and headed north, escaping the conflict zone.[11] The
Real Audiencia of Santiago declared the evacuation an act of cowardice, and prohibited refugees from Chillán to go beyond the
Maule River north.[12] As an outbreak of
smallpox occurred among the refugees, this was. in effect. a quarantine, as trespassing north was punished with death sentences.[12]
From its foundation, Chillán has been at the heart of Chile's rich agricultural region. It is also in a region of seismic activity, suffering from devastating earthquakes throughout its history; the
1939 Chillán earthquake left over 30,000 dead and mobilized international help.
Chillán has a
Mediterranean climate (
Köppen climate classificationCsb).[13] Winters are cool but mild, with a July average of 7.9 °C (46.2 °F). Most of the precipitation falls during this time of the year, with May to July being the wettest months, averaging over 200 mm (8 in).[14] Summers, though, are dry and warm, with a January average of 20.1 °C (68.2 °F), and during this time, precipitation is rare, averaging only 2–3 days per month from December to February. Temperatures can occasionally exceed 30 °C (86.0 °F) from October to April. The average annual precipitation is 1,058 mm (42 in), but it is highly variable from year to year, with 1982 being the wettest year at 1,813 mm (71 in) and 1998 being the driest year at only 473 mm (19 in).[14]
Source 1: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (humidity 1970–2000)[15][16][14]
Source 2:
NOAA (precipitation days 1991–2020),[17] Universidad de Chile (sunshine hours only)[18]
The air in Chillán is the fourth-most polluted in Chile, after
Santiago,
Temuco, and
Concepción. "As in Temuco, the main cause of air pollution in Chillán is the use of wood-burning stoves; about 62% of all households in Chillán use firewood as their main source of heating."[19]
Demographics
According to the 2002
census by the
National Statistics Institute, the commune of Chillán spans an area of 511.2 km2 (197 sq mi) and has 161,953 inhabitants (77,007 men and 84,946 women). Of these, 148,015 (91.4%) lived in
urban areas and 13,938 (8.6%) in
rural areas. The population grew by 8.3% (12,442 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[3]
The
demonym for a person from Chillán, used for more than 400 years by local residents, is Chillanejo, yet this is not found in the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary, which only recognizes Chillanense.[20]
Notable people
Isabel Riquelme, mother of Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins, was born in Chillán in 1758.
María Cornelia Olivares, one of the national heroines of the
Chilean War of Independence, was also from the city. In addition, Chillán has produced a number of artists. A notable example is
Claudio Arrau, a
pianist. Additionally,
Ramón Vinay is the tenor who played
Otello in the 1950s, his recording of the role with Toscanini. He was a regular at the New York City
Metropolitan Opera, where he sang both tenor and baritone roles. One of his last performances at this house was as the
Barber of Seville's Basilio, a bass role. He retired from the stage in 1969.
The city of Chillán is connected to Chile's capital Santiago by both a modern highway and a rebuilt railway system
TerraSur that makes the trip in less than five hours. TerraSur, which terminates in Chillán station, and the
Alameda-Temuco train both operate on the railway connecting Chillan with
Rancagua and
Santiago.