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The mint
La Moneda began as the royal mint and opened in 1805
La Moneda was the colonial mint house of the city, designed by the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca. Construction began in 1784 and it opened in 1805. Coins were made there from 1814 to 1929.
Materials
Its materials came from around Chile and the world
Limestone came from the Polpaico estate and red stone from a quarry on Cerro San Cristóbal. Oak and cypress came from Valdivia, and metal work from Vizcaya. Twenty varieties of brick were baked in Santiago for the building.
Twentyvarieties of brick baked in Santiago for the building
The seat
It became the seat of government and the president's home in 1845
In June 1845, under President Manuel Bulnes, the palace became the seat of government and presidential residence. Presidents have used the gate at Morandé 80 since the early 20th century, entering as ordinary citizens of the country.
The plaza
A square on the south side leads down to a cultural center
The Plaza de la Ciudadanía was built on the south side of the palace, with construction beginning in May 2004 and the plaza inaugurated in December 2005. Paths lead down to the underground La Moneda Cultural Center.
1973
The Air Force strafed the palace on September 11, 1973
During the military coup on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Air Force strafed the palace with rockets and cannon fire. President Salvador Allende died by suicide in the palace that day. Restoration ended in March 1981, and some bullet marks have been kept.
Day 1, afternoon
It comes after Mercado Central. Then Barrio Lastarria.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article La Moneda Palace, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.