Palacio de la Moneda

The Palacio de la Moneda

The Santiago audio-guided tour takes you before the Palacio de la Moneda, seat of the presidency of the Republic. A major place of memory, it witnessed the most significant, and most painful, moments of the contemporary history of Chile.

From the mint to 11 September 1973

Designed by the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca in a neoclassical style, the building first served, from 1814, to mint the currency of the country, hence its name. Become the presidential palace in 1846, it was the scene of the coup d'état of 11 September 1973, which put an end to the government of Salvador Allende, the socialist president elected in 1970. That day, the palace was bombed and the president lost his life there. A fifteen-year dictatorship then began, marked by a repression of tragic scale: thousands of people were killed or disappeared, many were imprisoned or forced into exile. In 1988, a plebiscite put an end to the regime, and power returned to civilians in 1990.

What there is to see

Restored after the bombings, the palace has recovered its neoclassical façade and houses the presidency of the Republic. A free guided tour allows you to discover its interior, and the La Moneda cultural centre, installed under the esplanade, hosts free leading exhibitions. It is a place where the history and the memory of the country can be contemplated with gravity and respect.

Practical information

The Palacio de la Moneda is in the civic district of Santiago, between the Plaza de la Constitución and the Plaza de la Ciudadanía. Seat of the presidency, its interior can be discovered on free guided tours, by prior request; the La Moneda cultural centre, under the esplanade, is freely accessible, according to its own hours. The façade can be contemplated freely, on the level.

Why is the palace called Palacio de la Moneda?

Because at its beginnings, from 1814, it served to mint the currency of the country; it became the presidential palace in 1846.

What happened at La Moneda on 11 September 1973?

The palace was bombed during the coup d'état; President Salvador Allende lost his life there, opening a fifteen-year dictatorship.