Chillan

About

Chillán can trace its roots back to 1580 when it was founded by the conquistador Martín Ruiz de Gamboa. But a slew of catastrophic earthquakes, including one in 2010, leveld most of the city’s historic monuments. What did endure, however, was trade. Historically Chillán was an important marketplace where Mapuches, Pehuenches, Mestizos, and Criollos brought their goods, and today, that tradition lives on in the Feria de Chillán. In this sprawling market, you’ll find everything from huaso clothing, knitwear and blankets, baskets, pottery, and even caged birds and fruit and vegetables. After you’ve found yourself a good souvenir (or maybe just a Chilean sausage), head to Chillán’s other most noteworthy landmark: its modernist cathedral. Built in the 1940s after the original cathedral was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1939, this half-cylinder with its 10 arches was designed to represent hands in prayer.