The work, carried out by the MOP Architecture Department, will allow the Cerro Barón church and convent to be opened to the community again, with new works, accessibility, sustainability and security measures.
One of the most emblematic historical buildings in the city of Valparaíso will open its doors to the community again after suffering a fire that completely destroyed it 11 years ago. This is the San Francisco del Cerro Barón Church, a Historical Monument built in 1846, which was completely restored after the serious damage caused by the fires that occurred in 1983, 2010 and finally in 2013, which ended up completely destroying it.
This morning, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Carolina Tohá, together with the Minister of Public Works, Jessica López, and the regional governor, Rodrigo Mundaca, presidential delegate, Sofía González; The mayor of Valparaíso, Jorge Sharp, led the inauguration of the restored San Francisco Church and convent.
“It is a very happy coincidence that we are doing this inauguration a few days before Heritage Day is commemorated in Chile. Because it shows us the wonder, the gift that is this heritage that previous generations inherit us, but it also shows us how fragile the heritage is and the enormous responsibility that we Chileans today have to take care of it so that future generations also they can enjoy it,” said the head of the Interior.
Likewise, he invited the community to “renew this sense of country, of caring for what Chile is for future generations, this May 25 and 26.” It is an invitation so that we can be proud that what we receive, we not only take care of it, but we improve it, we expand it for the Chileans of tomorrow.”
Along these lines, Minister Jessica López noted that: “For us, it is a matter of pride and happiness to be able to recover, through a high-level restoration complex, an emblem of the greatest heritage, cultural and tourist importance for the city of Valparaíso and for our country.”
“These works are part of a larger portfolio of restorations that we are carrying out nationwide, such as: the Municipal Theater of Iquique, the Mejillones Museum, the Guadalcázar Fort in Santa Juana and the Casa Pauly in Los Lagos,” added the owner. of the MOP.
Meanwhile, the regional governor, Rodrigo Mundaca, highlighted that: “This church has an extraordinarily important material and immaterial heritage value for all of us who live in the Valparaíso region. It is a gift for all the people of Buenos Aires and therefore we are very happy, satisfied to have received important resources, but I think that this is not the time to talk about resources, but rather that this is the moment in which we have to ingratiate ourselves with to have recovered a heritage that is tremendously important and that we should never have lost.”
The contract considered the replacement of all the missing elements resulting from the fires, in addition to the structural consolidation and complete restoration of the Church and convent, in pursuit of the protection of this monument, a landmark of the city of Valparaíso.
In addition, the convent was enabled as a community center with universal accessibility through the access from Blanco Viel and Castro streets, and an elevator and ramps were also incorporated. The work also included fire protection for the walls, ceiling and pillars of the church.
The architectural program also contemplated the construction of venues for cultural and social use of citizens such as; cafeteria, bazaar, multipurpose room and on the second level a university home, which will be managed by the Corporation for a United Valparaíso.
In this way, the traditional use of the neoclassical design Temple and all its annexed spaces (sacristy and chapels) were privileged with access that favors the entry of parishioners, visitors and tourists.
The works, which began in September 2021, represented an investment of close to 7 billion pesos, and were financed jointly by the Regional Government (80%) and the Architecture Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works (20%). .
The restored San Francisco Church will open its doors again to the community this Saturday, May 25, on the occasion of Heritage Day and also at the consecration mass scheduled for Thursday, June 13.
The bishop of the diocese of Valparaíso, Jorge Patricio Vega, the seremi of Public Works, Yanino Riquelme and the regional director of Architecture, Alejandra Vio, among other authorities, also participated in the opening ceremony.
