¿Quo Vadis Valparaíso? Vicisitudes de una ciudad en constante transformación

Abstract

In Valparaíso, complex city, which grew irregularly conditioned by a rough topography in a natural amphitheatre setting, in a constant process of transformation and rebuilding due to natural catastrophes, greed and the effects of global economic decisions. In spite of this a unique cultural landscape is developed being nominated in 2003 as World Heritage City by UNESCO. The golden age of Valparaiso, as main port of the South Pacific, takes place during the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth, with the search of raw materials in America to provide the British flourishing industries. An economic crisis arose due to the opening of the Panama Canal displacing Valparaiso from the new commercial routes, but allowed the survival of an exceptional heritage representing this period in history. Despite UNESCO’s nomination and although efforts have been made to revitalize the city these have not had the expected effects as decisions are divided between too many divergent actors. Its revitalization requires a holistic overview, preserving its values and including real incentives in order to revert the continuous decay which has marked its history.