Lastarria District

The Lastarria district

The Santiago audio-guided tour has you stroll in the Lastarria district, the artistic and creative heart of the capital. On just a few streets are concentrated a craft market, bookshops, museums, a cinema, bars and restaurants.

Around the church of la Veracruz

The district was born around the church of la Veracruz, built at the beginning of the nineteenth century in tribute to Pedro de Valdivia, founder of Santiago. Around 1847, the Spanish chargé d'affaires proposed to raise a church there to commemorate him, a project welcomed with enthusiasm by the city and the Church, and entrusted to the French architect Claude Brunet. The building was named Veracruz, the "Holy Cross", in memory of the arrival of Christianity on the continent, and keeps in its presbytery relics of the Holy Cross. During the social movements of 2019, the church suffered serious damage.

What there is to see

Lastarria lives to the rhythm of festivals, exhibitions and terraces, particularly lively in the evening. A craft market, second-hand booksellers, museums and the neighbouring Gabriela Mistral cultural centre make it a high place of creation in Santiago. It is an ideal district to stroll, to discover Chilean art and to enjoy the cultural life of the capital.

Practical information

The Lastarria district is in the centre of Santiago, near the Cerro Santa Lucia and the forest park. It can be walked freely on foot at all hours and on the level. Bars, restaurants and museums follow their own hours; the atmosphere is particularly lively in the evening.

What is the Lastarria district?

The artistic and creative district of Santiago, concentrating on a few streets a craft market, bookshops, museums, bars and restaurants.

Around what monument was the district born?

Around the church of la Veracruz, built in the nineteenth century in tribute to Pedro de Valdivia, founder of Santiago.