University of Chile

The University of Chile

The Santiago audio-guided tour presents you with the University of Chile, nicknamed the "U", recognisable by its yellow classical building. Founded on 17 September 1842, it is the first university of the new Republic and the most prestigious of the country.

Forming the elite of a young Republic

At its creation, the "U" replaced the Real Universidad de San Felipe, established in 1738, and an even older institution founded in 1622. It responded to the necessity of modernising a country freed from the Spanish yoke for some twenty years and of forming the elite capable of ensuring its autonomy. The university drafted the Civil Code, participated in the construction of the public transport network and tackled great national problems. It counts two Nobel laureates among its figures, the poets and diplomats Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral.

What there is to see

The yellow classical building, elegant and solemn, is one of the symbols of Chilean intellectual life. For Chileans, joining the "U" is synonymous with success and a fine career, and most of the country's presidents studied there. A place of learning still in activity, the university is discovered above all by its façade, a witness to the central role it has played for nearly two centuries.

Practical information

The University of Chile is in the centre of Santiago, on the Alameda. A place of teaching in activity, its spaces cannot all be freely visited; its classical façade can be contemplated from the avenue, on the level.

When was the University of Chile founded?

On 17 September 1842, as the first university of the new Republic of Chile.

What Nobel laureates are linked to the University of Chile?

The poets and diplomats Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral are among its great figures.