Palacio Rioja description and photos - Chile: Vina del Mar (Topic)

Palacio Rioja description and photos - Chile: Vina del Mar. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Palacio Rioja.

Photo and description

The Rioja Palace is the architectural gem of Vina del Mar.

In 1907, Fernando Medel Neila Rioja bought the land on which the farm belonged to Jose Francis Vergara was located. He decided to move his residence from the city of Valparaiso, which was damaged by the 1906 earthquake. Fernando Medel Rioja commissioned the famous Portuguese architect who lived in France, Alfredo Azancot Levi, to begin the construction of a neoclassical mansion in the center of Vina del Mar.

During the construction of the building, with an area of 3700 square meters, the latest technologies of that time were applied: iron and cement, electricity for lighting and steam for heating, curtains and tapestries for insulation, water supply and sewerage were used. The building is surrounded by 40 hectares of landscape park, where an exotic plant nursery, gardens, a private theater, stables, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc. are located.

The luxurious interior of the palace is decorated with antiques in the Empire, Baroque, Rococo styles, brought from Spain and France.

In 1920, Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria lived in this building for three months, who was invited by the then President Arturo Alessandri Palma on the anniversary of the discovery of the Strait of Magellan. This visit was an important recognition of the sovereignty of the Chilean State.

In 1956, the palace became the property of the municipality of Vina del Mar. The mayor's office was located here for several years. Since 1979, the building has housed the Museum of Decorative Arts with a collection of the late 19th - early 20th century. Since 1985, the Rioja Palace has been a National Monument in Chile.

This palace also has its own ghosts. According to legend, Don Fernando Rioja married his daughter, but after the wedding she was returned back to her father's house, as she turned out to be the beloved of a simple coachman who was killed within the walls of the palace. Since then, his ghost has been looking for his beloved. The spirit of Don Fernando Rioja, dressed in antique clothes, also wanders the castle after his death. Many people see and hear a beautiful piano melody, although no one touches the instrument.

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Topic: Palacio Rioja description and photos - Chile: Vina del Mar.