Valdivia

Coordinates: 39°48′50″S 73°14′45″W / 39.81389°S 73.24583°W / -39.81389; -73.24583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Valdivia (disambiguation).

Valdivia
City and Commune
From top to bottom, left to right: Valdivia waterfront; town square; Hotel Naguilán (top); Sciences Building of Austral University (bottom); Los Canelos tower; Rodolfo Amando Philippi Museum; Historical and Anthropologic Museum Maurice van de Maele; St. Francisco Church; Prochelle House; Dreams Hotel & Casino; Los Lotos Lagoon on Teja Island; Mapuche's Rewe; and Botanical Garden of Valdivia
From top to bottom, left to right: Valdivia waterfront; town square; Hotel Naguilán (top); Sciences Building of Austral University (bottom); Los Canelos tower; Rodolfo Amando Philippi Museum; Historical and Anthropologic Museum Maurice van de Maele; St. Francisco Church; Prochelle House; Dreams Hotel & Casino; Los Lotos Lagoon on Teja Island; Mapuche's Rewe; and Botanical Garden of Valdivia
Coat of arms of Valdivia
Coat of arms
Location of the Valdivia commune in Los Ríos Region
Location of the Valdivia commune in Los Ríos Region
Alcaldesa
Carla Amtmann (RD)
Area
[3]
 • Total1,015.6 km2 (392.1 sq mi)
Elevation
5 m (16 ft)
Population
 (2017 Census)[3]
 • Total150,048
 • Density150/km2 (380/sq mi)
 • Urban
129,952
 • Rural
10,607
DemonymValdivian
Sex
[3]
 • Men68,510
 • Women72,049
Time zoneUTC−04:00 (CLT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−03:00 (CLST)
Postal code
5090000
Area codecountry 56 + city 63
ClimateCfb
WebsiteMunicipality of Valdivia (in Spanish)

Valdivia (Spanish pronunciation:

wood pulp manufacturing, forestry, metallurgy, and beer production. The city is also the home of the Austral University of Chile, founded in 1954 and the Centro de Estudios Científicos
.

The city of Valdivia and the

Valdivian fort system that turned Valdivia into one of the most fortified cities of the New World.[6] In the mid-19th century, Valdivia was the port of entry for German immigrants who settled in the city and surrounding areas
.

In 1960, Valdivia was severely damaged by the

Great Chilean earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, at magnitude 9.5.[7] The earthquake caused c. 2 m of subsidence around Valdivia leaving large areas of former pastures and cultivated fields permanently flooded.[8] Today there are various protected wetlands[9] within the urbanised area of Valdivia as well as in its outskirts.[10]

History

Main article: History of Valdivia

Pre-Hispanic times (12,000 BC – 1543)

The area around Valdivia may have been populated since 12,000 – 11,800

"Clovis First" model of migration to the New World. Researchers speculate that the first inhabitants of Valdivia and Chile travelled to America by watercraft and not across a land-bridge in the Bering Strait
.

During at least the

Middle Archaic, southern Chile was populated by indigenous groups who shared a common lithic culture called the Chan-Chan Complex, named for the archaeological site of Chan-Chan located some 35 km north of Valdivia along the coast.[12]

According to the polygenetic theory of the French scholar Paul Rivet, people from Melanesia, Polynesia, Australia and northern Asia arrived, in a period between 30 and 4 millennia ago, to the coasts of the New World, sailing in improvised boats.

One of the most suggestive hypotheses of the entire polygenetic theory is the probable trip that some members of the Japanese Jōmon culture made to the New World and its strong influence on the Valdivia culture, which developed in present-day Ecuador in the third millennium BC.[13]

There was also a very early Valdivia culture on the coast of Ecuador, but it is not related to the city of Valdivia. This archaeological culture flourished near the small village of Valdivia in Ecuador between 3500 BCE and 1500 BCE.

Ainil

By the time of the arrival of the Spanish

Mapudungun for People of the South). The Huilliche and Mapuche
were both referred to by the Spaniards as Araucanos. Their main language was a variant of Mapudungun, the Mapuche language.

A large village called Ainil stood where present-day downtown Valdivia has been developed. The Huilliche called the river, Ainilebu (now known as the Valdivia River). Ainil seemed to have been an important trade center; it was a port on the sea and had access to the interior via the network of the

chronicler, wrote that there were half a million Indians living within ten leagues (one league is roughly 4.2 km) from the city.[15]
Other historians consider these numbers too high and argue that early Spaniards usually exaggerated in their descriptions.

Later the British naturalist Charles Darwin observed that "there is not much cleared land near Valdivia."[14] This suggests that pre-Hispanic agriculture in Valdivia was far more extensive than the agriculture practiced in the early 19th century at the time of his visit.

First Spanish city (1544–1604)

See also: Dutch expedition to Valdivia
Idealized illustration of Pastene from Alonso de Ovalle's "Histórica relación del Reyno de Chile"

The first European to visit Valdivia River's estuary was the Genoese captain Juan Bautista Pastene, who took possession of it in 1544 in the name of the Spanish king, Charles V. He named the river after the Governor of Chile Pedro de Valdivia.[17]

Pedro de Valdivia later travelled by land to the river described by Pastene, and founded the city of Valdivia in 1552 as Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia.

Kingdom of Chile".[15] Many of Chile's most influential conquistadors and future governors were granted land in Valdivia, such as Jerónimo de Alderete, Rodrigo de Quiroga, Francisco and Pedro de Villagra
, apart from Pedro de Valdivia himself.

Jerónimo de Bibar, a chronicler who witnessed the founding wrote:[18]

"Having the governor seen such good comarca and site for populate a city and riverside of such good river, and having such good harbour he founded a city and named it ciudad de Valdivia, and he assigned Alcaldes and a town council."

After Pedro de Valdivia's death, the war with the

Great Chilean earthquake of 1960 in terms of damage.[17]

Until 1575, the Huilliche of Valdivia did not organize any notable resistance against the Spanish. They had fought as

Indios amigos
with the Spanish against the northern Mapuche in the Arauco War. But that year 4,000 Indians who had been fighting in Martín Ruiz de Gamboa's army rebelled after returning to the area of Valdivia.

Picture of Pedro de Valdivia, conquistador of Chile and founder of Valdivia

During the 16th century, the economy of Valdivia was sustained by trade in agricultural products from nearby areas and by the coining and export of

Kingdom of Chile
.

After the demoralising

Bío-Bío River. Valdivia was re-established but it was a Spanish enclave surrounded by native Huilliche territory. Together with Castro, Chile on the island of Chiloé
, it was one of the southernmost colonies of the Empire.

Eleven days after the first destruction of Valdivia, a group of 270 Spanish soldiers arrived from Perú.[17] The commander of the troops, colonel Francisco del Campo was convinced that the city of Valdivia needed to be repopulated. After Francisco del Campo's expedition left, the Dutch corsair Sebastian de Cordes occupied the site of Valdivia for some months, giving the Dutch government information about this abandoned part of the Spanish Empire. The Spaniards returned on 13 March 1602, when captain Francisco Hernández Ortiz established a fort on the ruins of the city. On September 24 natives attacked the fort unsuccessfully, but laid siege. The Spaniards could not acquire food or supplies, and on 3 February 1604 abandoned the fort, with the last starving survivors rescued by ship.

Ruins of Valdivia and Dutch occupation (1604–1645)

Further information: Dutch expedition to Valdivia

The

John Maurice of Nassau while in charge of the Dutch part of Brazil had equipped the expedition and had secretly appointed Elias Herckman as commander if Brouwer died. Herckman finally occupied the ruins of Valdivia in 1643, renaming it Brouwershaven. The Dutch did not find the gold mines they expected and the hostility of the natives forced them to leave on 28 October 1643.[17]

Image of Torreón El Canelo restored in the 1850s. It is one of two remaining Spanish towers in Valdivia used to defend the city and one of the few remaining colonial structures.

Second Spanish city (1645–1810)

Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Leiva Viceroy of Peru (1639–1648) knew of the strategic importance of Valdivia and decided to repopulate and fortify it once for all. He financed partly the expedition to repopulate Valdivia with his own capital.[17] The contingent in charge of the mission was organized in Peru and consisted of seventeen ships filled with building materials and supplies that astounded contemporaries by its magnitude.[6] The local government of Chile could not secure Valdivia as it was engaged in continuous war with the Mapuches and was deeply dependent on the Real Situado, an annual payment of silver from Potosí to finance the army of Chile. The Valdivia enclave was placed directly under the control of the Viceroyalty of Peru that administered Valdivia from its repopulation in 1645 until 1740.[17] Corral, located on the river entrance to Valdivia, became one of the most fortified bay at the time,[6] with 17 forts. During this time it was several times proposed to move the city of Valdivia to Mancera Island
. Valdivia's original site, downtown of modern Valdivia was repopulated in 1684.

Once Spanish presence in Valdivia was

Afro-Peruvians, became later soldier-settlers once they had served their sentence.[19] Close contacts with indigenous Mapuche meant many soldiers were bilingual in Spanish and Mapudungun.[20] A 1749 census in Valdivia shows that Afro-descendants had a strong presence in the area by then.[19]

Beginning in the mid-18th century, Valdivia left behind its past as an enclave and a period of agricultural expansion begun. The expansion, that mainly directed to the south, was done mostly by pacific means, but hostilities with indigenous Huilliches did occur. After the Valdivian colonization had reached Bueno River, Spanish authorities pushed for connecting the city of Valdivia with the settlements at Chacao Channel by a road.[21]

Independence and growth (1810–1959)

Further information: German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue and 1960 Valdivia earthquake
A painting of the assault on Corral fort

Self-governing juntas appeared in

Irishman, Albert Alexander Eagar, led the celebration of what was seen as an affirmation of the legitimacy of the Spanish king. However, Valdivian independentists, such as Camilo Henríquez, saw an opportunity to gain absolute independence from Spain, organized a coup on 1 November 1811, and joined other Chilean cities that were already revolting against the old order.[17] Four months after the coup, on 16 March 1812 a counterrevolutionary coup took control of the city and created a War Council. The War Council broke trade relations with the rest of Chile and confirmed Valdivia's loyalty to the Spanish government.[17]

Even after several defeats of the Spanish troops during the

Chilean Independence War, Valdivia and Chiloé remained loyal to the Spanish King. By 1820 the newly created Chilean Navy, commanded by Lord Thomas Cochrane, captured Valdivia, but failed to liberate Chiloé. Cochrane's land-based attack took the Spanish by surprise, avoiding a direct confrontation with the highly defended forts at the entrance to the Valdivia River. When loyal troops in Valdivia heard the news about the fall of Corral they sacked the city and fled south to reinforce Chiloé, passing by Osorno.[17]

Friar Camilo Henríquez, born in Valdivia, was one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Chile.

Chilean Supreme Director, and

General Captaincy of Chile and was in 1826 incorporated as one of the eight provinces of Chile.[17]

On February 20, 1835, Valdivia was affected by the worst earthquake in the area in several decades, an event witnessed by Charles Darwin.[14] He also stated that "there is not much cleared land near Valdivia"[14] which contrasted with the description made by early Spaniards of large fields and extensive croplands.

The expansion and economic development of the city were limited in the early 19th century. To jump-start economic development, the Chilean government initiated a highly focussed immigration program under

Huilliche either sold their land or were pushed into reservations. The Osorno department of Valdivia Province was moved to Llanquihue Province
(created in 1853) as consequence of German immigration to the Llaquihue area.

We shall be honest and laborious Chileans as the best of them, we shall defend our adopted country joining in the ranks of our new countrymen, against any foreign oppression and with the decision and firmness of the man that defends his country, his family and his interests. Never will have the country that adopts us as its children, reason to repent of such illustrated, human and generous proceeding,...

— Carlos Anwandter

Valdivia prospered with industries, including shipyards, the Hoffmann gristmill, the Rudloff shoe factory, the Anwandter beer company and many more. The steel mills of Corral were the largest recorded private investment in Chile at the time, and were the first steel mills in South America. In 1891 Valdivia became a commune according to a law that created such subdivisions. After the Malleco Viaduct was built in 1890 the railroads advanced further south, reaching Valdivia in 1895. The first passenger train arrived in 1899. In 1909 a fire destroyed 18 city blocks in downtown Valdivia,[17] which were rebuilt with modern concrete buildings. By 1911 lumber production, from clearing of native forests, became the most important industry. Cattle-raising was a growing industry, and wheat was grown on the cleared lands. Lumber, cattle, leather, flour and beer were exported. In 1895 the city's population was 8,062 inhabitants and was estimated at 9,704 in 1902.

Valdivia, situated at some distance from the coast, on the Calle-calle river, is a German town. Everywhere you meet German faces, German signboards and placards alongside the Spanish. There is a large German school, a church and various Vereine, large shoe-factories, and, of course, breweries...

— Carl Skottsberg

The economic prosperity of Valdivia continued throughout the first half of the 20th century. In 1917 the first "Valdivian Week" (Spanish: Semana Valdiviana) was celebrated. Chile's oldest beauty contest, "Queen of The Rivers" (Spanish: Reina de Los Ríos) began the same year. The city evolved as an early tourist center in Chile, while popular songs that named Valdivia and the

Santiago and the main port city, Valparaíso
.

The commercial and human flux Valdivia suffered two setbacks in the early 20th century, first the connection of

Straits of Magellan
or visit any Chilean port.

Great Chilean earthquake and Los Lagos Region (1960–2006)

See also:
Great Chilean earthquake, Riñihuazo, and Los Ríos Region
earthquake
of 22 May 1960

On May 22, 1960, Chile suffered the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5

Río Cruces y Chorocomayo
– a new aquatic park north of the city.

Large sections of the city flooded after the earthquake, and a landslide near the Tralcán Mount dammed the Riñihue Lake. Water levels in Lake Riñihue rose more than 20 meters (66 feet), raising the danger of a catastrophic break and of destroying everything downriver. Government authorities drew plans for evacuating the city, but many people left on their own. Danger to the city was reduced after a large team of workers opened a drainage channel in the landslide; water levels of the lake slowly returned to normal levels. There is evidence that a similar landslide and earthquake happened in 1575.[17] After the Great Chilean earthquake Valdivia's economy and political status declined. Much of the city was destroyed and many inhabitants left.

The

firing squad due to alleged participation in the assault on Neltume police station
and "guerrilla activities".

By 1974, the military junta reorganized the political divisions of Chile and declared Valdivia a province of the

pirate attacks, hostile natives
and several earthquakes, Puerto Montt was a relatively new city founded only in 1853 (three hundred and one years later).

Since the liberalization of the economy in Chile in the 1980s the forestry sector in Valdivia boomed, first by exporting wood chips to Japan from

Valdivian temperate rainforests to plant pines and eucalyptus, but also created new jobs for people with limited education. Valdivia also benefitted from the development of salmon aquaculture in the 1990s, but to a much lesser extent than places such as Puerto Montt
and Chiloé.

Culture

Picture of Michelle Bachelet's visit to Valdivia in 2007, in which she confirmed the creation of Los Ríos Region

Valdivia is often promoted for its unique characteristics, that make it different from other cities in Chile: Valdivia has an early Spanish colonial past, plus a later history of German colonization. Both eras left visible landmarks such as the forts of Corral Bay and the German-style wood houses. The governments of Spain and Germany currently maintain honorary consulates in Valdivia. The city is commonly seen as a tourist magnet in Chile, and sometimes described as La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South) and as La ciudad mas linda de Chile (Chile's most beautiful city). Every year during the summer months of January and February the municipality organizes many free cultural events along the river site, such as concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment. To mark and celebrate the end of the touristic summer months, halfway through February all entertainment reaches its climax with the celebration of noche Valdiviana (Valdivian night). During this night many local groups and communities present themselves on boats during a night parade over the river. Every boat has its own theme related with one theme of that year. At the end a jury picks the winners in different categories. The parade is by tradition started by a boat which presents la reina de los ríos. In recent years Valdivians have showed an increasing interest in nature and

Great Chilean earthquake and the national government's creation of the Los Lagos Region were difficult for Valdivian society. Valdivians resented to be punished first by a major earthquake and then by being placed under the administration of what they perceived to be a less-deserving city, Puerto Montt
. The recent creation of a new, smaller, but more independent region (Los Ríos), with Valdivia as its capital, reduced the previous stigma.

Valdivia's varied influences are reflected by its multicultural

Mapuche, Spanish, Quechua and German origin.[24]

Spanish colonial influences

During much of the colonial period, Valdivia was essentially a military camp, a walled city surrounded by hostile natives. The coastal defenses and their garrisons made up a large part of the population. After several fires and earthquakes, nearly all buildings from this period were destroyed, with the exception of the military defenses. Valdivia's best known historical landmarks are now the two towers which were part of a former city wall, built by the Spaniards to defend the city, known as Torreones: Torreón Los Canelos and Torreón del Barro.

German influences

Main article: German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue
Kunstmann Brewery, Valdivia, Chile

Since the first

Isla Teja lived isolated from the city, where it was common that children first learned to speak German before Spanish. Nowadays, the German language is preserved by the Instituto Alemán Carlos Anwandter one of Latin America
's oldest German schools. German descendants also form Valdivia's oldest fire station Germania, located in Isla Teja.

German immigrants and their descendants formed their social club Club Alemán, which after World War II changed names to Club la Unión. German workers once had their own club simply called El Alemán (The German).

Valdivia also hosts Bierfest Valdivia, a celebration that could be described as a small, regional Oktoberfest, despite being celebrated in late January or February of every year (during the local summer, when there is the largest influx of tourists). The main sponsor and organizer is Kunstmann, a local beer company, founded by German nationals, but since bought out by the largest beer and beverages company in Chile (CCU).

Literature

The Valdivia Book Fair is organized annually by the Municipal Cultural Corporation in Parque Saval.[25] Likewise, the Society of Writers of Chile, through its subsidiary Valdivia and with the collaboration of the Austral University of Chile, regularly holds literary gatherings, a space in which books are presented and local letters are shared with the student community.[26] Several authors born in the Los Ríos Region also stand out in the city, such as Maha Vial,[27] Iván Espinoza Riesco,[28] José Baroja,[29] Aldo Astete Cuadra,[30] Efraín Miranda Cárdenas, among others.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, the commune of Valdivia spans an area of 1,015.6 km2 (392 sq mi) and has 140,559 inhabitants (68,510 men and 72,049 women). Of these, 129,952 (92.5%) lived in urban areas and 10,607 (7.5%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 15.1% (18,391 persons).[3]

The city of Valdivia spans 42.39 km2 (16 sq mi) had a population of 127,750 and 35,217 homes, giving it a population density of 3,013.7/km2 (7,805/sq mi). The commune is divided into 19 census districts with one recognized town, Niebla, with an area of 1.55 square kilometers (0.60 sq mi), population of 2,202 (in 1,169 homes) and population density of 1,420.6/km2 (3,679/sq mi).[3]

Within the population, the presence of descendants of migrants of German origin and of Spanish origin also stands out, colonies that are grouped into different social, educational, sports and cultural institutions.

Arts and Scientific research

The Southern University of Chile (

Universidad Austral de Chile, UACh), one of the original eight Chilean state universities, has its main campus in Valdivia. In the last decade Valdivia gained prestige as an important cultural and scientific venue: the Valdivia Film Festival became the most important in Chile, and the Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECS) is now housed in the recently modernized, German-style hotel Schuster located by the Valdivia River. Claudio Bunster
, a physicist and winner of Chile's National Prize in Exact Sciences, is the Director of CECS. Some research areas where CECS and UACH have gained widespread recognition include:

The city is surrounded by many nature reserves and large areas of forest plantations, wetlands and

Valdivian temperate rainforest
that, together with the numerous rivers that circle the city, have heightened the residents' awareness of living close to nature.

Trivia

In addition to being known as the City of Rivers, Valdivia has also been called The pearl of the South, The key of the South seas, Gibraltar of the Pacific, and Chile's most beautiful city. The nickname Valdilluvia is a mix of the Spanish word for rain – lluvia and Valdivia referring to the rainy climate of the city.

Geography

Map of Valdivia and its surroundings

As part of the

Palms
are occasional.

Parts of city is built on poor soils made up of former wetlands or artificial fills that are prone to suffer during earthquakes as demonstrated in 1960 and 2010.[31]

Geology

See also: Bahía Mansa Metamorphic Complex and Santo Domingo Formation

Within the context of

Valdivia interglacial.[33]

View of Valdivia from west

A

tidal flats, bayhead deltas and beaches.[34]

Climate

Valdivia has an

Valdivian temperate rainforest
.

During the summer months (December, January and February) the average temperature is about 17 °C (63 °F), while in winter the temperature descends to 8.5 °C (47.3 °F). The annual average temperature for

Valdivian Coast Range is minimal due to its low height (715 m at Cerro Oncol) and the gap in the range at Valdivia River's outflow to the Pacific Ocean
.

Decreasing precipitation has caused the city's water supply in Calle-Calle River to be contaminated with saline water from the coast.[36] The effects of saline water entering the water supply of Valdivia were particularly noticeable in March 2015 when there was a surge in complains about the taste of the water.[36][37] The saltwater in the rivers near Valdivia during autumn is expected to increase in the future.[37] Estimations indicate that whenever the sum of the water discharge of Cruces and Calle-Calle rivers falls below 74 m3/s (2,600 cu ft/s) saltwater reaches the supply site at Cuesta Soto.[37]

Climate data for Valdivia, Chile (Pichoy Airport) 1991–2020, extremes 1966–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35.2
(95.4) 		38.5
(101.3) 		32.0
(89.6) 		27.5
(81.5) 		21.2
(70.2) 		18.2
(64.8) 		19.2
(66.6) 		20.0
(68.0) 		25.9
(78.6) 		29.2
(84.6) 		31.2
(88.2) 		33.2
(91.8) 		38.5
(101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 24.0
(75.2) 		24.1
(75.4) 		21.5
(70.7) 		17.0
(62.6) 		13.5
(56.3) 		11.0
(51.8) 		10.8
(51.4) 		12.4
(54.3) 		14.8
(58.6) 		16.9
(62.4) 		19.2
(66.6) 		21.8
(71.2) 		17.3
(63.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 16.4
(61.5) 		16.3
(61.3) 		14.5
(58.1) 		11.7
(53.1) 		9.8
(49.6) 		8.0
(46.4) 		7.4
(45.3) 		8.3
(46.9) 		9.4
(48.9) 		11.1
(52.0) 		13.0
(55.4) 		15.0
(59.0) 		11.7
(53.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 8.8
(47.8) 		8.5
(47.3) 		7.5
(45.5) 		6.3
(43.3) 		6.0
(42.8) 		5.0
(41.0) 		4.0
(39.2) 		4.2
(39.6) 		4.1
(39.4) 		5.3
(41.5) 		6.8
(44.2) 		8.2
(46.8) 		6.2
(43.2)
Record low °C (°F) −0.7
(30.7) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		−3.8
(25.2) 		−6.0
(21.2) 		−6.8
(19.8) 		−7.2
(19.0) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		−1.4
(29.5) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−7.2
(19.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 40.5
(1.59) 		39.1
(1.54) 		68.0
(2.68) 		125.0
(4.92) 		231.5
(9.11) 		329.3
(12.96) 		265.0
(10.43) 		241.8
(9.52) 		123.4
(4.86) 		107.3
(4.22) 		84.7
(3.33) 		66.8
(2.63) 		1,722.4
(67.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 4.7 4.7 7.1 10.5 14.7 18.8 17.0 16.8 12.0 11.9 8.7 7.1 134.1
Average
relative humidity
(%) 		63 64 72 80 87 89 87 83 76 72 68 65 76
Mean monthly sunshine hours 295.8 259.7 211.2 127.9 71.6 46.8 70.6 100.3 151.0 194.6 219.3 262.7 2,011.5
Source 1: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (humidity 1970–2000)[38][39][40]
Source 2:
NOAA (precipitation days 1991–2020)[41]

Government and politics

The commune of Valdivia is a third-level

administrative division of Chile governed by a directly elected mayor (alcalde) and a municipal council (consejales). The city's current mayor is Carla Andrea Amtmann Fecci of the Democratic Revolution party. The prior mayor was Omar Sabat Guzmán of the Independiente UDI
.

Within the

UDI
) as part of the 16th senatorial constituency (Los Ríos Region).

The creation of

CELCO after the deaths of black-necked swans in Carlos Anwandter Nature Sanctuary
in 2004.

Ecological action

In response to the alleged contamination of Cruces River by the Celco cellulose pulp mill, a group of citizens formed the Accion por los Cisnes (Action for the Swans) ecology group. Action for the Swans attracted the attention of the national newspapers and succeeded in temporarily closing down Valdivia Pulp Mill through a court order.[42]

Economy and tourism

The city and commune of Valdivia rely heavily on

sausages, is part of the city's German heritage and is preserved as part of the local heritage.[44] Trade, restaurants and hotels link to the tourism industry which represent an important part in Valdivia's growing economy.[45]

Tourism

See also:
Ecotourism in the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest and Black Beer Festival

Valdivia is a historic tourist destination in Chile, valued for the beauty of the city and surrounding areas, the area's culture and its history. It is an all season city, but during the summer months in particular (December, January, February) tourism is a major source of income for Valdivia's economy. "Valdivian Week" (Spanish: Semana Valdiviana), as it has been known since 1917, is a long-held tradition that dates back to the foundation of the city. Starting February 9 each year,[46] it commemorates the city's anniversary and also gives Valdivia the chance to promote itself as a tourism center. "Semana Valdiviana" features an allegorical parade of ships – a tradition that began in the seventeenth century as a protest against the Spaniard authorities – and also includes a big artisan market, fairground rides, and the election of the "queen" of Los Rios. The week ends with fireworks and theatre performances on the closing night, known as "Noche Valdiviana" (Valdivian Night). The center of the city has a rich architectural heritage. One of its most visited buildings is the "Mercado Municipal" ("municipal market"),[47] a local produce market that is also now a gastronomic and cultural attraction. Also popular are the "Convento San Francisco" (Saint Francis Convent) and the European-style buildings dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, used today by the city's universities, cultural centers and government.

Picture of Niebla lighthouse situated just above the Niebla fort

Education

Universities and colleges

Valdivia is home to several public and private

Universidad de Los Lagos
.

Schools

Like in the rest of Chile, most of Valdivia's best schools are private. Instituto Alemán Carlos Anwandter (Deutsche Schule Valdivia) founded in 1858 is Chile's second oldest German school after the Instituto Alemán de Osorno (1854). Other notable private schools are Windsor School and Colegio San Luis de Alba. Among public schools Instituto Salesiano de Valdivia, Liceo Rector Armando Robles Rivera and Liceo Comercial have reached good results.

Sports

Facilities for playing football, tennis, rowing, rugby, golf, indoor swimming, indoor and outdoor basketball and some other sports are available throughout the area. Rowing is practiced in Valdivia in three clubs: Club Deportivo Phoenix Valdivia, Club Centenario de Remeros and Club Arturo Prat. Valdivian rowers Cristian Yantani and Miguel Cerda won the first place in Men's Lightweight Coxless Pair-Oared Shells at the world championship in Seville, 2002.[48]

Club Deportivo Valdivia is Valdivia's main basketball team and plays in Chiles first division, DIMAYOR where it won the 2001 season. In 1977 and 2001 Valdivia hosted South Americas Men's Basketball Championship.[49]

The football club

Chilean third division and as of 2013
, will play in the Primera B (or Second Division)

Transport

Roads and bridges

Pedro de Valdivia Bridge and the city's sea lion colony

Most of Valdivia lies on the southern side of the

Isla Teja and Las Animas, are connected to it by bridges. The main access points to the city are Calle-Calle Bridge from the north and a southern route. Both connect the city with the Pan-American Highway and run through forested areas and wetlands. Route 207 runs from Valdivia southeast connecting the city with the town of Paillaco at the Route 5.[50]

Calle-Calle Bridge, the first bridge built in the city, connects Valdivia with Las Animas and forms the northern highway access to the city.

Isla Teja, where many German immigrants once lived. During the Great 1960 Valdivia earthquake only the minor Caucau Bridge (connecting Las Animas with Isla Teja) was destroyed,[dubious – discuss] while all other bridges were repaired and are still in use. In 1987 Augusto Pinochet opened Río Cruces Bridge, making the coastal town of Niebla as well as Torobayo and Punucapa
accessible by road. Calle-Calle Bridge, the main access to the city, was enlarged in the 1990s.

The New Cau Cau bridge in Valdivia has been restored and fixed.

The new Caucau bridge was intended to provide a faster route from the city centre to the Pichoy airport via Isla Teja, but the faulty construction made it unusable.

Waterways

Until highway bridges were built, Valdivia's economy and citizens depended on boat traffic on the surrounding rivers, but with a contraction of bridges and highways, the river has lost its importance. Today, the rivers are used by the commercial ships built or repaired in Asenav, one of Chile's most important shipyard companies, and by tourist boats. Some of the locations that are regularly reached by tourist boats include Mancera Island and Punucapa. Fishing boats also travel inland from the coast to the River Market. Today, just one ferry is still in operation, the Niebla–Corral line, as it is much quicker to reach Corral by ferry than by road.

Although in recent years the rivers have not had a major role in Valdivia's public transportation, a new private project is being developed by "Los Solares",[51] an environmentally friendly company that operates solar-powered river taxis on Valdivia River. The project is called Transporte Fluvial Sustentable (TFS, or "Sustainable Water Transportation" in English). So far, the company has a fleet of three river taxis,[52] and a small, sustainable and locally designed floating village that includes a pier, a café and the company's offices. The community produces its own electricity, water supply and processes its own wastewater with a bacterial solution.[53]

Airports

The city is served mainly by

Pan American Highway. The smaller but much closer Las Marías Airport is used primarily by small aircraft, with no airlines
operating there.

Twin towns – sister cities

Country City State / Region Since
Argentina
Neuquén
 Neuquén Province 2003
Romania Cluj-Napoca Cluj County 2009
United States Mount Pleasant Michigan
United States Tacoma
Washington
Australia Hobart[54] Tasmania
Germany Hamburg Hamburg
Spain Ateca Aragon

Gallery

See also

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Valdivia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 844.

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Notes

Sources

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Valdivia.

https://www.munivaldivia.cl/web/

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