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La Moneda Palace

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La Moneda Palace (Spanish: Palacio de La Moneda , pronounced [paˈlasjo ðe la moˈneða] , lit: Palace of the Mint), or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the president of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministries: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency, and General Secretariat of the Government. The palace occupies an entire block in the Civic District of downtown Santiago, bordered by Moneda Street to the north, Morandé Street to the east, the Alameda to the south, and Teatinos Street to the west.[3]

La Moneda Palace
Palacio de La Moneda
View of La Moneda from the Plaza de la Constitución
Map
General information
Architectural style
Neoclassical[1]
Location Santiago, Chile
Construction started
1784
Completed
1805
Client Spanish Crown
Technical details
Floor count 4
Floor area 18,720 square metres (201,500 sq ft)[2]
Design and construction
Architect Joaquín Toesca[1]

The Italian-born architect Joaquín Toesca designed the building as the royal mint of colonial Chile, and it opened in 1805. Coin production continued in the building until 1929. President Manuel Bulnes made it the seat of government in the 1840s. On September 11, 1973, during the military coup led by Augusto Pinochet, Army forces attacked the palace with tanks and artillery, while the Air Force bombarded it from the air; President Salvador Allende died there. It was rebuilt over the following years and reopened in 1981. La Moneda is built in a restrained neoclassical style and is a protected national monument.

Since the start of José Antonio Kast's presidency in March 2026, La Moneda has also served as the president's official residence, which no president had used it for in decades.

History

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Colonial mint

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The colonial Santiago Mint (now La Moneda Palace) in 1824, a coloured lithograph by George Johann Scharf, based on a sketch by James Paroissien. John Carter Brown Library.[4]

The colonial economy was in a deep depression around 1730, and in 1732 the Cabildo (municipal council) of Santiago asked the Spanish Crown to establish a mint in the city. Neither the local authorities nor the Crown had the resources to do so, so by royal decree of October 1, 1743, King Philip V granted the concession to a private individual, who would bear any losses and keep any profits.[5] The concessionaire was the Spanish merchant Francisco García Huidobro, later 1st Marquess of Casa Real, who became the mint's perpetual treasurer. The mint was established on a site different from the present one, his house at Huérfanos and Morandé, and the first coin was struck in gold on September 10, 1749.[6] In the 1770s the Crown took over the mint's administration, and it moved into a former Jesuit college that proved unsuitable. Plans for a purpose-built mint were drawn up but rejected by the Viceroy of Peru, who ordered new ones.[5]

Joaquín Toesca, born in Rome in 1752, had been an assistant to Francisco Sabatini in Madrid before being sent to Chile to work on the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, where he arrived in early 1780. His work impressed Governor Agustín de Jáuregui, who asked him to design the mint.[5] Toesca presented plans in 1782 for a site near the Mapocho River, but groundwater flooded the foundations, and the new governor halted the work in January 1784. Toesca then chose a new site, the former Jesuit property known as the solar de los teatinos, which is where the palace stands today.[5]

Sources give the start of construction as 1784 or as 1786.[1][5] Materials arrived from across Chile and beyond: limestone from the Polpaico estate; sand from the Maipo River; red stone from a quarry on Cerro San Cristóbal; white stone from the neighboring Cerro Blanco; oak and cypress from Valdivia; and Spanish metalwork from Vizcaya. Twenty varieties of brick were fired in Santiago for lintels, corners, floors, moldings, and solid walls more than a meter thick, a precaution in an earthquake-prone city.[7]

Toesca died in 1799 before the mint was finished. The military engineer Agustín Cavallero succeeded him, followed by other pupils of the two men, including Juan José de Goycoolea, who completed the chapel and other finishing work.[5] The "Mint House of Santiago de Chile" opened in 1805.[7] It also housed the mint's superintendent, José Santiago Portales, whose family lived in an apartment on the second floor. Portales was removed during the Spanish reconquest because of his support for independence, and after the Battle of Chacabuco Bernardo O'Higgins reinstated him; he oversaw the first coinage of independent Chile.[5] Coins were produced at La Moneda from 1814 to 1929.

Seat of government

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La Moneda Palace in 1872, by Recaredo Santos Tornero, from the book Chile Ilustrado

From 1817, Chile's heads of state occupied the old and cramped Governors' Palace on the Plaza de Armas, which had housed Chile's rulers since the time of Pedro de Valdivia. In 1845, President Manuel Bulnes, citing that building's ruinous condition and the need for larger ministerial offices, decided to move the government and the presidential residence to the former mint. The transfer took place in stages in mid-1846. The Interior Ministry took the northwest corner and the president's residence the northeast corner, while coin production continued in part of the building.[5] The cost of the conversion was widely criticized as extravagant.

In the 19th century, the palace was affected by earthquakes and by a fire in the presidential wing in 1855. The lime whitewash on the facades was replaced with plaster painted in oil in the late 1850s. President José Manuel Balmaceda (1886–1891) had the building extensively refurbished, adding a metal roof over the presidential courtyard and redecorating the reception rooms.[5] The presidents who lived in the palace did so intermittently; Carlos Ibáñez del Campo was the last to do so, during his second term (1952–1958).[8]

The palace did not originally have a southern facade, and the mint's workshops stood where the Patio de los Naranjos is now. The mint moved to a site adjacent to Quinta Normal Park in 1929, and in 1930 a southern annex facing the Alameda was built to a design by Josué Smith Solar, who followed Toesca's original design.[9] An earlier proposal (1913) to remodel the palace in a more fashionable style had not been carried out.[5] In 1940, a former mint pavilion from Toesca's design was demolished to make way for the Patio de los Naranjos.[9] After the presidency of Gabriel González Videla, who furnished the palace with antiques and art brought from Europe, it ceased to serve as a presidential residence.

Historically the palace was open to pedestrians, but this was suspended for security reasons after the 1970 assassination of General René Schneider. It was reopened to the public in 2000 and closed again, and access from the Plaza de la Ciudadanía was restored in 2018 under President Sebastián Piñera.[10]

1973 coup and reconstruction

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La Moneda pictured on September 11, 1973 after being bombed

During the military coup d'état on September 11, 1973, La Moneda, where Allende and some of his supporters were barricaded, was shelled by Army cannon and struck by rockets fired from two British-built Hawker Hunter jets of the Chilean Air Force. The palace was partly destroyed.[11][12] Allende died by suicide in the palace the same day. The north facade and the pavilion between the Patio de los Cañones and the Patio de los Naranjos suffered the worst damage. Irreplaceable objects were lost, including the original Act of Independence of 1818, O'Higgins's original ceremonial insignia, and a portrait of O'Higgins by José Gil de Castro.[13][12]

Reconstruction began in September 1973, at first under the direction of Santiago's municipal works department,[14] and it was completed in 1981 under the Ministry of Public Works, with the aim of restoring Toesca's original conception.[6] Offices were relocated, layouts changed, and some sections demolished. Several features disappeared in the process: the Morandé 80 entrance, traditionally used by presidents to enter the palace as ordinary citizens, was closed, and the room where Allende died was walled off. The seat of government moved to the Diego Portales Building while the work was under way.[11][13] The foundations were reinforced with modern techniques, and the Plaza de la Constitución, long used as a parking lot, was redesigned with green areas and two fountains.[13] An underground complex of offices and parking, popularly called "the bunker", was built beneath the plaza.

Return to democracy

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Aerial view of La Moneda Palace

After the return to democracy, the palace was repainted white under President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle.[15] On September 11, 2008, President Michelle Bachelet inaugurated the Salvador Allende White Room on the second floor, recreating the office Allende used until the coup.[16] The 2010 Chile earthquake caused minor damage, and the Salón Prat was the worst affected room.[17]

Presidential residence

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After the December 2025 election of José Antonio Kast, the president-elect announced that he would live in the palace, citing austerity and the logistics of commuting from his home outside Santiago.[18] Kast took office on March 11, 2026, and became the first president to live in the palace since Ibáñez del Campo's term ended in 1958.[8] According to the newspaper El País, his residence is in the wing of the palace where Allende died.[19] The rooms he uses, on the second floor above the Interior Ministry, were previously used by the first lady's office.[20]

Architecture

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Elevation of the Royal Mint, designed by Joaquín Toesca
Lower floor plan of the Royal Mint

La Moneda is built in a restrained neoclassical style with Roman Doric influences. According to the palace's listing on the UNESCO website, its wide, horizontal, rectangular composition conveys strength and stability. The main facade faces Moneda Street, and the rooms are arranged along transverse and longitudinal axes that form several patios.[7] The architecture website ARQHYS.com states that it is "the only structure in the pure Italian neoclassical style that exists in Latin America."[21]

Behind the main facade are three patios: the Patio de los Cañones, named for its colonial cannons and serving as an entrance hall; a covered patio; and the Patio de los Naranjos, where major presidential ceremonies take place.

The building has been modified repeatedly by successive presidents, and the last great restoration followed the 1973 coup, when large portions were destroyed or damaged.[7]

State rooms

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Blue Room of La Moneda Palace, 2007
The Blue Room today, following its renovation during Sebastián Piñera's first administration. Its walls are now white.

The palace's formal rooms, arranged along the north wing on Moneda Street and around the patios, include:

  • Salón Independencia: its balconies are the palace's most famous, from which prominent guests, including Pope John Paul II, have greeted crowds in the plaza.[22]
  • Salón Blanco "Presidente Salvador Allende": recreates Allende's office with replica desks, chairs, lamps, and tapestries, and a full-length portrait of Allende donated by the painter Aldo Bahamonde.[16] Until 2008 it was known as the Salón Independencia.[23]
  • Salón Prat: inaugurated by Bachelet on December 30, 2009, on the third floor, as part of a plan to honor great figures of Chilean history. It holds items associated with Arturo Prat, including his last handwritten letter to his wife.[17]
  • Salón Vicente Huidobro: opened in 2013 by Piñera in honor of the poet Vicente Huidobro, with material donated by the Vicente Huidobro Foundation.[24]

The palace also has a chapel; Pope John Paul II prayed there in April 1987 during his visit to Chile, accompanied by Pinochet.[25]

Surroundings

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Designed by Undurraga Devés Arquitectos, the Plaza de la Ciudadanía on the south side of the palace, connecting it to the Alameda, was built between 2004 and 2005 and has been called "one of the most important public works in the last century" by Chile's Plataforma Arquitectura website.[26] Paths from the plaza lead to the underground Palacio de La Moneda Cultural Center, which hosts exhibitions on Chilean culture and history.[27] The palace anchors the Civic District, which contains many of the country's main government buildings; the "four blocks around La Moneda" is a common Chilean shorthand for the government.

Ceremonies

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A changing of the guard ceremony takes place every two days[28] on odd-numbered days in odd-numbered months and even-numbered days in even-numbered months, at 10 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends (as of June 2015). Dating to the 1850s, it lasts about 30 minutes and features a band and mounted troops. The Carabineros de Chile provides the guard, composed of a Foot Guards battalion and a Horse Guards squadron. Since 2010, a national flag-raising ceremony has been held monthly at the Plaza de la Ciudadanía.

Heritage status

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La Moneda was declared a national monument (historic monument category) by Supreme Decree No. 5058 of July 6, 1951, so any work on it must be authorized by the National Monuments Council.[6] The council fixed the monument's boundaries in 2013,[29] and the palace lies within the Civic District protected zone.[30] The palace is on Chile's tentative list for World Heritage Site nomination.[7]

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Exterior

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Interior

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See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 Andrew Benson; Melissa Graham (2009). The Rough Guide to Chile. Penguin. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-4053-8381-3. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "¿Cuánto valdría el Palacio de La Moneda?". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 23 December 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "www.letsgochile.com: La Moneda Palace". Archived from the original on 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  4. ↑ "The Mint of Santiago". Biblioteca John Carter Brown website. 1824.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rodríguez Villegas, Hernán (1983). Palacio de La Moneda (PDF) (in Spanish). Santiago: Dibam. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Palacio La Moneda". Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Palacio de la Moneda UNESCO website, retrieved 2 February 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Chile's La Moneda Reopens as Presidential Home After Six Decades as Kast Moves In". LatinAmerican Post. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  9. 1 2 Rodríguez, Hernán (1983). Palacio de la Moneda (in Spanish). Santiago: Dibam.
  10. ↑ Rivas, Sebastián (3 May 2018). "¿La Moneda al fin sin rejas? La particular evolución de la Plaza de la Ciudadanía en su creación". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  11. 1 2 "50 años del golpe de Estado: ¿Qué pasó con La Moneda luego de ser bombardeada?". T13 (in Spanish). 1 September 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Ataque a La Moneda: 50 años del Golpe Militar". El Mercurio (in Spanish). 10 September 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 "Cómo fue la reconstrucción de La Moneda tras bombardeo". La Tercera (in Spanish). 25 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Restauración del Palacio de La Moneda". El Mercurio (in Spanish). 30 September 1973. p. 2. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Palacio de La Moneda". Plataforma Arquitectura. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Chile recupera el salón de La Moneda en el que murió Allende tras el golpe". El País (in Spanish). 12 September 2008. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 UPI Chile (30 December 2009). "Inauguran en La Moneda el salón Arturo Prat". elmostrador.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  18. ↑ Fuentes, Samuel (2025-12-16). "Kast confirma intención de vivir en La Moneda: "Yo no pido lujos, soy capaz de hacer mi cama"". BioBioChile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-18.
  19. ↑ Schwarze, Pedro (2026-03-14). "Kast instala su residencia en el ala de La Moneda donde Allende se quitó la vida hace 52 años". El País Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-18.
  20. ↑ "Kast se instala en La Moneda: el rincón del palacio que eligió para vivir como presidente". El Dínamo (in Spanish). 11 March 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Palacio de la Moneda Archived 2017-05-13 at the Wayback Machine ARQHYS.com Architecture and Construction team, ARQHYS.com, retrieved 4 February 2013.
  22. ↑ "Palacio de La Moneda". Santiago Turismo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Salón Blanco Presidente Salvador Allende" (PDF). archivospresidenciales.archivonacional.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Presidente Piñera inaugura Salón Vicente Huidobro en el Palacio de La Moneda". gob.cl (in Spanish). 8 August 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  25. ↑ "El Papa estuvo ayer 44 minutos a solas con Pinochet en La Moneda" (PDF). La Época (in Spanish). 3 April 1987. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  26. ↑ Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda – Plaza de la Ciudadanía/Undurraga Devés Arquitectos David Basulto, Plataforma Arquitectura, retrieved 2 February 2013.
  27. ↑ Palacio La Moneda Cultural Center will exhibit Latin American gold and silver artwork[link removed] ThisisChile.cl, 31 May 2010, retrieved 4 February 2013.
  28. ↑ Changing of the Guard
  29. ↑ "Palacio de La Moneda - Antigua "Real casa de Moneda"". Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  30. ↑ "Génesis y desarrollo arquitectónico del Palacio de la Moneda" (PDF). Dialnet (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2026.
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33°26′35″S 70°39′14″W / 33.443018°S 70.653870°W / -33.443018; -70.653870

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