La Serena

La Serena ("the serene one") is the second oldest city in Chile. The city, located about 500km north of Santiago, has a population of around 200,000. It was first founded by Spaniard Captain Juan Bohon in September 4 1544 on the orders of Pedro de Valdivia in order to provide a sea link between Santiago and Lima. In 1549 the town was totally destroyed by local indians and re-founded the same year by Captain Francisco de Aguirre in a safer location. The town has retained its historic architecture and this, along with a selection of beaches (known as Avenida del Mar, "Sea's Avenue"), has caused the city to become a significant tourist centre.

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Its traditional architecture consists of a series of housing and public buildings, of late 19th-century vintage, built with wood from the US state of Oregon brought to Chile as counterweight in sailing vessels coming to Coquimbo, the nearby port, to load copper and other minerals for transport back to the US.

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This oregon pine, and the use of adobe create the genuine image of the city.

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There is also a number of remarkable and valuable small churches built of sedimentary stone quarried 5 km to the north of the Elqui River, having a characteristic color and texture formed by millions of small shells. These churches are all roughly 350 years old and have undergone restoration to varying degrees, bringing them back to their original form. San Francisco, San Agustin, Santo Domingo are the names of a few of them.

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The Cathedral, built from the same stone, dates from the 19th century. It must be said that although it lacks the same historical value as the older churches, this is a stone building in a country prone to seismic activity, and has survived various earthquakes. Indeed, during centuries of existence, there is almost no visible damage. All of these churches, along with others of minor importance, provide a unique urban landscape, an image for the city, giving it the nickname "The City of Churches."

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Chile: The Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It shares borders with Argentina to the east, Bolivia to the northeast and Peru to the north....

Santiago: Santiago is one of the names by which Saint James is known in the Hispanic world. It is used as the name of several places around the world....

September 4: September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). There are 118 days remaining....

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