Editing Santiago (section)

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of Santiago de Chile}}

===Prehistory===
Archaeological evidence suggests that the first human groups arrived in the Santiago basin around the 10th millennium BC.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=De Ramón |first=Armando |title=Santiago de Chile (1541-1991): Historia de una sociedad urbana |publisher=Editorial Sudamericana |year=2000 |language=es |trans-title=Santiago de Chile (1541-1991): History of an Urban Society}}</ref> These groups were primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers, traveling from the coast to the interior to hunt guanacos during the Andean snowmelt. By around 800 AD, the first permanent settlers established agricultural communities along the [[Mapocho River]], where they cultivated crops such as [[maize]], [[Potato|potatoes]], and [[Bean|beans]], and domesticated camelids.<ref name=":0" />

The villages of the [[Picunche]] people (as they were known to Chileans) or the [[Promaucae]] (as referred to by the Incas) were under [[Inca Empire|Inca rule]] from the late 15th century to the early 16th century. The Incas established a settlement of [[Mitma|mitimas]] in the valley, located in the center of present-day Santiago, with fortifications such as [[Huaca de Chena]] and the [[Cerro El Plomo|El Plomo hill]] sanctuary. According to Chilean historian [[Armando de Ramón]], the area served as a base for failed Inca expeditions to the south and was a junction along the [[Inca road system|Inca Trail]].<ref name=":0" />

===Founding of the city===
[[File:Fundacion de Santiago.jpg|thumb|left|''The Founding of Santiago'' (1888), oil painting by [[Pedro Lira]] (1888). The artwork depicts Pedro de Valdivia and Juan Martín de Candia, proclaiming the founding of the city.<ref>Pobladores de Chile, 1565–1580, libro de Juan Guillermo Muñoz Correa, Ediciones Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, 1989.</ref>]]
[[File:Ines de Suarez 2.JPG|thumb|upright=0.75|''Inés de Suárez in Defense of the City of Santiago'' (1897), oil painting by José Mercedes Ortega.]]
[[Pedro de Valdivia]], a conquistador from [[Extremadura]] sent by [[Francisco Pizarro]] from [[Peru]], arrived in the Mapocho valley on 13 December 1540, after a long journey from [[Cusco]]. Valdivia and his party camped by the river on the slopes of the [[San Cristóbal Hill|Tupahue hill]] and gradually began interacting with the [[Picunche people]] who lived in the area. Valdivia later called a meeting with the local chiefs, during which he explained his plan to establish a city on behalf of [[Charles I of Spain]]. The city would serve as the capital of his governorship of [[Nueva Extremadura]]. 

On 12 February 1541, Valdivia officially founded the city of ''Santiago del Nuevo Extremo'' (''Santiago of New Extremadura'') in honor of the [[James the Great|Apostle James]], the patron saint of Spain. The city was established near Huelén, which Valdivia renamed Santa Lucía. He assigned the city's layout to master builder [[Pedro de Gamboa]], who designed a [[grid plan]]. At its center, Gamboa placed a [[Plaza de Armas (Santiago)|Plaza Mayor]], which became the town's central hub.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Ledermann |first=Walter |date=February 2021 |title=De cómo se gestó el alcantarillado de Santiago de Chile |trans-title=About How the Sewerage System in Santiago de Chile Was Developed |url=https://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-10182021000100102 |journal=Revista Chilena de Infectología |volume=38}}</ref> Surrounding the plaza, plots were designated for the [[Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral|cathedral]], the jail, and the [[Royal Governor of Chile|governor's house]]. The city was divided into eight blocks from north to south and ten blocks from east to west, between the Mapocho River and the ''Cañada'' with each quarter-block, or ''solar'', granted to settlers.<ref name=":1" /> The [[Architecture of Chile|colonial architecture]] following the grid plan consisted of one or two-story houses, adobe walls, tile roofs, and rooms around interior corridors and [[Patio|patios]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valencia |first=Nicolás |date=2022-11-23 |title=Santiago Architecture City Guide: 41 Buildings, Complexes and Parks to Visit in the Chilean Capital |url=https://www.archdaily.com/992337/santiago-architecture-city-41-buildings-complexes-and-parks-to-visit-in-the-chilean-capital |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=ArchDaily |language=en-US}}</ref>

Valdivia left for the south with his troops months later, initiating the [[Arauco War]]. Santiago was left vulnerable, and a coalition of Mapuche and Picunche tribes led by chief [[Michimalonco]] [[Destruction of Santiago|destroyed the city]] on 11 September 1541, despite the efforts of a Spanish garrison of 55 soldiers defending the fort. The defense was led by Spanish [[Conquistador|conquistadora]] [[Inés Suárez|Inés de Suárez]]. When she realized they were being overpowered, she ordered the execution of all indigenous prisoners, displaying their heads on pikes and throwing some towards the attackers. In response to this brutal act, the indigenous forces dispersed in fear.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Moulian |first=Rodrigo |last2=Poblete |first2=María Pía |date=December 2018 |title=Katulongkon: contextualización y antecedentes transculturales del simbolismo de la cabeza entre los Reche-Mapuche |trans-title=Katulongkon: Contextualization and Transcultural Background of Head Symbolism Among the Reche-Mapuche |url=https://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-10432018000400213#f3 |journal=Estudios Atacameños |volume=60 |via=Scielo}}</ref> The city was gradually rebuilt, with the newly established city of [[Concepción, Chile|Concepción]] gaining political prominence as the [[Real Audiencia of Concepción|Royal Audiencia of Chile]] was established there in 1565. However, the ongoing threat of the Arauco War and frequent earthquakes delayed the establishment of the Royal Court in Santiago until 1607, which solidified the city's status as the capital.

During the early years of the city, the Spanish suffered from severe shortages of food and other supplies. The [[Picunche|Picunches]] had adopted a strategy of halting cultivation and retreating to more remote locations,<ref name=leon1991/> which isolated the Spanish and forced them to resort to eating whatever they could find. The shortage of clothing meant that some Spanish had to dress with [[hide (skin)|hides]] from dogs, cats, [[South American sea lion|sea lions]], and [[South American fox|foxes]].<ref name=leon1991>{{Cite book |last=León |first=Leonardo |url=http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/archivos2/pdfs/MC0012923.pdf |title=La merma de la sociadad indígena en Chile central y la última guerra de los promaucaes |publisher=Institute of Amerindian Studies, University of St. Andrews |year=1991 |isbn=1873617003 |pages=13–16 |language=es |author-link=Leonardo León |access-date=9 September 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028092709/http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/archivos2/pdfs/MC0012923.pdf |url-status=live }}<!--|access-date=August 27, 2019 --></ref>

===Colonial Santiago===
[[File:Plan de la Ville de Santiago.jpg|thumb|Map of colonial Santiago in 1712 by [[Amédée-François Frézier|Frézier]] and [[Jacques-Nicolas Bellin|Bellin]].]]
[[File:Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Santiago, 2017-09-24.jpg|thumb|130px|Preserved colonial [[Santo Domingo Church, Santiago de Chile|Church of Santo Domingo]], built between 1747 and 1796.]]
Although Santiago was facing the threat of permanent destruction early on, due to attacks from indigenous peoples, earthquakes, and floods, the city began to grow rapidly. Out of the 126 blocks designed by Pedro de Gamboa in 1558, 40 were occupied. In 1580, the first major buildings in the city started to be erected, marked by the placement of the foundation stone of the first Cathedral in 1561 and the building of the [[Iglesia de San Francisco, Santiago de Chile|church of San Francisco]] in 1572. Both of these structures were primarily made of adobe and stone. In addition to the construction of significant buildings, the city began to thrive as the surrounding areas welcomed tens of thousands of livestock.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the growth of the city was hindered by a series of disasters including an [[1575 Valdivia earthquake|earthquake]], a [[smallpox]] epidemic in 1575, the Mapocho River floods in 1590, 1608, and 1618, and a devastating [[1647 Santiago earthquake|earthquake]] on 13 May 1647 which resulted in the death of over 600 people and affected over 5,000 others. Despite these setbacks, the capital of the [[Captaincy General of Chile]] continued to grow, with all the power of the country being centered on the [[Plaza de Armas (Santiago)|Plaza de Armas]] in Santiago.

In 1767, the corregidor Luis Manuel de Zañartu launched one of the most significant architectural projects of the colonial period, the Calicanto Bridge, connecting the city to La Chimba on the north side of the Mapocho River. He also began constructing [[Starling (architecture)|embankments]] to prevent river overflows. Although the bridge was completed, its piers were frequently damaged by the river. In 1780, Governor [[Agustín de Jáuregui]] hired the Italian architect [[Joaquín Toesca]], who designed several important buildings, including the cathedral's façade, the [[Palacio de La Moneda]], the [[San Carlos Canal]], and the completion of the embankments during the government of [[Ambrosio O'Higgins]]. These works were officially opened in 1798. The O'Higgins government also opened the road to [[Valparaíso]] in 1791, connecting the capital with the country's main port.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="147px">
File:Schmidtmeyer, Peter & Scharf, G - The Cañada, Santiago -JCB Library f1 (cropped).jpg|The colonial La Cañada neighborhood in Santiago de Chile, in 1821, by [[George Johann Scharf|Scharf]] and Schmidtmeyer. [[John Carter Brown Library]].<ref name="PeterSchmidtmeyer1821"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://americana.jcblibrary.org/search/object/jcbcap-ljcb-1-1-4613-7280006/|website=[[John Carter Brown Library]] website|year=1821|title=The Cañada. Santiago}}</ref>
File:Schmidtmeyer, Peter & Scharf, G - Scenes at a Fair -JCB Library f1.2.jpg|Scenes at a fair in Santiago de Chile, in 1821, by [[George Johann Scharf|Scharf]] and Schmidtmeyer. [[John Carter Brown Library]].<ref name="PeterSchmidtmeyer1821">{{cite book|author1=Peter Schmidtmeyer |author2=[[George Johann Scharf]]|publisher=[[Daler-Rowney|Rowney & Forster]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EzcB9j2y-XIC|title=Travels Into Chile, Over the Andes, in the Years 1820 and 1821: With Some Sketches of the Productions and Agriculture; Mines and Metallurgy; Inhabitants, History, and Other Features, of America; Particularly of Chile, and Arauco|year=1821}}</ref>{{rp|pp=320, 348}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americana.jcblibrary.org/search/object/jcbcap-ljcb-1-1-4615-7280008/|website=[[John Carter Brown Library]] website|year=1821|title=Scenes at a Fair, Santiago}}</ref>|alt=Scenes at a fair in Santiago de Chile, in 1821, by Scharf and Schmidtmeyer. John Carter Brown Library.: 320, 348
File:Schmidtmeyer- Paroissien, James & Scharf, G - The Mint of Santiago -JCB Library f1.3.jpg|The colonial [[Palacio de la Moneda|Real Casa de la Moneda]] (now called Palacio de la Moneda) in 1824 (by Paroissien, [[George Johann Scharf|Scharf]] and [[Daler-Rowney|Rowney & Forster]]). [[John Carter Brown Library]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americana.jcblibrary.org/search/object/jcbcap-ljcb-1-1-4612-7280005/|website=[[John Carter Brown Library]] website|year=1824|title=The Mint of Santiago}}</ref>
File:Plaza o great Square of Santiago with diffent national costumes (cropped2).jpg|[Colonial] ''Plaza o great Square of Santiago with different local costumes'', in 1826, by [[John Miers (botanist)|John Miers]]. [[British Library]].<ref>{{cite web|year=1826 |title=Travels in Chile and La Plata|author=[[John Miers (botanist)|John Miers]]|website=[[Royal Holloway, University of London]] website|url=https://librarysearch.royalholloway.ac.uk/discovery/fulldisplay/alma997465808002671/44ROY_INST:44ROY_VU2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|year=1826 |title=Travels in Chile and La Plata. CHAPTER XII - CHILE DESCRIBED|author=[[John Miers (botanist)|John Miers]]|chapter=Chile Described |series=Cambridge Library Collection - Latin American Studies |volume=1 |pages=471–481 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/CBO9780511975967.014 |isbn=978-1-108-07295-3 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/travels-in-chile-and-la-plata/chile-described/D95DEB4B79E086410645255DDFF41A33 }}</ref>
File:Plaza de Armas de Santiago de Chile en 1850.jpg|[Colonial] Square in Downtown Santiago, in 1850, by the French-born Ernest Charton.<ref>{{cite web|year=1850 |title=Plaza de Armas de Santiago en 1850|website=[[National Library of Chile]] website|url=http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/bnd/632/w3-article-312972.html}}</ref>
File:Plaza de la Independencia de Santiago in 1854 by Claude Gray.jpg|Colonial Plaza de Armas de Santiago in 1854 by [[Claude Gay]].<ref>{{cite book|date=1847 |title=Historia fisica y politica de Chile segun documentos adquiridos en esta republica durante doce años de residencia en ella y publicada bajo los auspicios del supremo gobierno. Volume 13|author=[[Claude Gay]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aWk1AAAAIAAJ&q=plaza+de+la+independencia+santiago+claude+gay}}</ref> In the foreground you can see the still intact [[Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago|Palace of the Real Audiencia of Chile]], and in the background the unfinished [[Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral|Cathedral]], both built by the Italian [[Joaquin Toesca]].
File:Santiago plaza independencia selleny expedic novara 1859.jpg|Colonial Plaza de Armas de Santiago in 1859 by Joseph Selleny aboard the [[SMS Novara (1850)|Novara expedition]], to the left, the (beginning to be modified) Palace of the Real Audiencia of Chile, and to the right, the colonial Portal de Sierra Bella.
File:Portal of Sierra Bella in the Plaza de Armas de Santiago de Chile in 1860 by Eugéne Maunoury.jpg|Portal de Sierra Bella and gardens of the Plaza de Armas in 1860. The [[Colony|colonial]] imprint was maintained until well into the 19th century, this commercial portal faithfully reflects the appearance of colonial Santiago. Photograph by Eugéne Maunoury, belonging to the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
</gallery>

===Capital of the Republic===
[[File:Battle of Maipu.jpg|thumb|[[Battle of Maipú]], 1818]]
On September 18, 1810, the [[Government Junta of Chile (1810)|First Government Junta]] was proclaimed in Santiago, marking the beginning of [[Independence of Chile|Chile’s path to independence]]. The city, which became the capital of the newly formed nation, faced various challenges, particularly from [[Chilean War of Independence|military actions]] in the vicinity.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Collier |first=Simon |title=A History of Chile, 1808-2002 |last2=F. Sater |first2=William |date=2004-10-18 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |pages=33}}</ref>

Although institutions like the [[Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera|Instituto Nacional]] and the [[National Library of Chile|National Library]] were established during the [[Old Fatherland|Patria Vieja]], they were shut down after the patriots’ defeat at the [[Battle of Rancagua]] in 1814.<ref name=":2" /> The [[Reconquest (Chile)|royal government]] continued until 1817, when the [[Army of the Andes]] emerged victorious at the [[Battle of Chacabuco]] and restored the patriot government in Santiago. However, independence was still uncertain. The Spanish army achieved further victories in 1818 and advanced toward Santiago, but their progress was finally halted at the [[Battle of Maipú]] on April 5, 1818, on the Maipo River plains.<ref name=":2" />

[[File:Tertulia por Claudio Gay.jpg|thumb|Painting of 1840 by [[Claude Gay]] depicting a [[tertulia]] of Santiago neighbors.]]
With the end of the war, [[Bernardo O'Higgins]] was accepted as [[Supreme Director of Chile|Supreme Director]] and, like his father, undertook several important projects for the city. During the [[New Fatherland|Patria Nueva]] era, previously closed institutions were reopened. The [[Santiago General Cemetery|General Cemetery]] was inaugurated, work on the San Carlos Canal was completed, and the drying riverbed in the south arm of the Mapocho River, known as La Cañada, which had been used as a landfill for some time, was transformed into an avenue now known as the [[Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins|Alameda de las Delicias]].

Two earthquakes struck the city in the 19th century: one on November 19, 1822, and another on February 20, 1835. Despite these disasters, the city continued to grow rapidly. In 1820, the population was recorded as 46,000, but by 1854, it had risen to 69,018. By 1865, the census reported 115,337 residents. This significant increase was due to suburban expansion to the south and west of the capital, as well as the growth of the bustling district of La Chimba, which resulted from the division of old properties in the area. This new peripheral development marked the end of the previous checkerboard structure that had dominated the city center.

===19th century===
[[File:Plano de Santiago, por Nicolás Boloña.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Map of Santiago in 1895.]]
During the Republican era, several institutions were founded, including the [[University of Chile]], the Normal School of Preceptors, the School of Arts and Crafts, and the [[Quinta Normal Park|Quinta Normal]]. The latter comprised the Museum of Fine Arts (now the Museum of Science and Technology) and the [[Chilean National Museum of Natural History|National Museum of Natural History]]. These institutions were established primarily for educational purposes, but also served as examples of public planning during that period. In 1851, the first telegraph system connecting the capital to the Port of Valparaíso was inaugurated.<ref name="history">{{Cite book |last=Anson Uriel Hancock |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mUBGAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA17 |title=A History of Chile |publisher=C. H. Sergel |year=1893 |page=17 |access-date=29 November 2017 |archive-date=18 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018054125/https://books.google.com/books?id=mUBGAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the "Liberal Republic" and the administration of Mayor [[Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna]], a new phase in the urban development of the capital was initiated. One of the main projects during this period was the remodeling of [[Cerro Santa Lucía]], which had fallen into disrepair despite its central location.<ref name="history" /> In his effort to transform Santiago, Vicuña Mackenna initiated the construction of the ''Camino de Cintura'', a road surrounding the entire city. The redevelopment of [[Alameda Avenue]] also took place during this time, turning it into the city's main road.

Also during this era, [[Parque O'Higgins|O'Higgins Park]] was established with the help of European landscapers in 1873. The public park, known for its large gardens, lakes, and carriage trails, became a landmark in Santiago. Other notable structures were also opened during this period, including the [[Municipal Theater of Santiago|Teatro Municipal]] opera house and the [[Club Hípico de Santiago]]. In addition, the 1875 [[Chilean International Exhibition|International Exposition]] was held in the Quinta Normal grounds.<ref name="parqueohiggins">{{Cite web |last=Martín |date=29 May 2007 |title=Past, present, and future images of a "green space" in the metropolitan area of Santiago |url=http://revistaurbanismo.uchile.cl/n3/dominguez/dominguez.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313204531/http://revistaurbanismo.uchile.cl/n3/dominguez/dominguez.html |archive-date=13 March 2007 |access-date=18 May 2015 |publisher=Revista Urbanismo, Nº3 |language=es}}</ref>

[[File:Cerro Santa Lucía, Santiago..jpg|thumb|The Fuente de Neptuno, in the [[Santa Lucía Hill]].|320x320px]]
Santiago emerged as the central hub of the national railway system. On 14 September 1857, the first railway arrived in the city and terminated at the [[Santiago Estación Central railway station]], which was under construction at the time and officially opened in 1884. During this period, rail lines connected Santiago to Valparaíso and regions in northern and southern Chile. The streets of Santiago were also paved, and by 1875, there were 1,107 railway cars in the city, while 45,000 people used trams daily.

===The centennial Santiago===
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2024}}[[File:Iglesia de la Compañia - Chile.JPG|thumb|A Jesuit Church in Santiago in 1857, by Charles Barbant and Son for ''[[Le Monde Illustré]]''.]]

As the new century began, Santiago underwent various changes due to the rapid growth of industry. Valparaíso, which had previously been the economic center of the country, gradually lost its prominence to the capital. By 1895, 75% of the national manufacturing industry was located in Santiago, while only 28% was in Valparaíso. By 1910, major banks and shops had established themselves in the central streets of Santiago, further diminishing the role of Valparaíso.

The enactment of the Autonomous Municipalities Act empowered municipalities to establish various administrative divisions within the Santiago department, with the goal of enhancing local governance. In 1891, the municipalities of [[Maipú, Chile|Maipú]], [[Ñuñoa]], [[Renca]], [[Lampa, Chile|Lampa]], and [[Colina, Chile|Colina]] were created, followed by [[Providencia, Chile|Providencia]] and [[Pudahuel|Barrancas]] in 1897, and [[Las Condes]] in 1901. The La Victoria ''departmento'' was also divided, leading to the creation of Lo Cañas in 1891, which was then further split into [[La Granja, Chile|La Granja]] and [[Puente Alto]] in 1892, followed by [[La Florida, Chile|La Florida]] in 1899, and [[La Cisterna]] in 1925.

The [[San Cristóbal Hill|San Cristobal Hill]] underwent a prolonged process of development during this period. In 1903, an [[astronomical observatory]] was established on the hill, and the following year, construction began on a {{Convert|14|m|adj=on|abbr=on|sp=us}} statue of the [[Virgin Mary]]. Today, the statue is visible from various points in the city. However, the shrine was not completed until several decades later.

The 1910 Chile Centennial celebrations marked the beginning of several urban development projects. The railway network was expanded, connecting the city and its growing suburbs with a new ring and route to [[Cajón del Maipo]]. A new railway station was also built in the north of the city: the [[Estación Mapocho|Mapocho Station]]. The [[Parque Forestal]] was established on the southern side of the Mapocho river, and new buildings such as the [[Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts|Museum of Fine Arts]], the [[Internado Nacional Barros Arana|Barros Arana public boarding school]], and the [[Biblioteca Nacional de Chile|National Library]] were opened. In addition, a sewer system was installed, serving approximately 85% of the city's population.

=== Population explosion ===
[[File:Santiago de Chile at 1929.jpg|thumb|200px|View of [[Paseo Ahumada]], in the city center, in the late 1920s.]]
The 1920 census estimated the population of Santiago to be 507,296 inhabitants, equivalent to 13.6% of the total population of Chile. This represented a growth of 52.5% from the 1907 census, an annual increase of 3.3%, which was almost three times the national average. This growth was mainly due to an influx of farmers from the southern regions who came to work in the factories and railroads that were being built. However, this growth was concentrated in the suburbs and not downtown.

[[File:Schmidtmeyer, Peter & Scharf, G - Tertulia & Mate Party -JCB Library f1.2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[Colonial] [[Tertulia]] and [[Mate (drink)|Mate]] party in Santiago de Chile, in 1821, by [[George Johann Scharf|Scharf]] and Schmidtmeyer. [[John Carter Brown Library]].<ref name="PeterSchmidtmeyer18211">{{cite book|author1=Peter Schmidtmeyer |author2=[[George Johann Scharf]]|publisher=[[Daler-Rowney|Rowney & Forster]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EzcB9j2y-XIC|title=Travels Into Chile, Over the Andes, in the Years 1820 and 1821: With Some Sketches of the Productions and Agriculture; Mines and Metallurgy; Inhabitants, History, and Other Features, of America; Particularly of Chile, and Arauco|year=1821|pages=240, 266}}</ref>{{rp|pp=240, 266}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americana.jcblibrary.org/search/object/jcbcap-ljcb-1-1-4604-7270004/|website=[[John Carter Brown Library]] website|year=1821|title=Tertulia and Mate Party}}</ref>]]
[[File:Schmidtmeyer- Scharf, George Johann - Tertulia JCB Library f1.2.jpg|thumb|left|"''[[Tertulia]] in a house of a very hospitable family of Santiago de Chile''", in 1821, by [[George Johann Scharf|Scharf]] and Schmidtmeyer. [[John Carter Brown Library]].<ref name="PeterSchmidtmeyer18211"/>]]
During this time, the downtown district consolidated as a commercial, financial, and administrative center, with the establishment of various shops and businesses around [[Paseo Ahumada|Ahumada Street]] and a Civic District in the vicinity of the Palace of La Moneda. The latter project involved the construction of modernist buildings for the offices of the [[Ministries of Chile|ministries]] and other public services, as well as the start of the construction of medium-rise buildings. Meanwhile, the traditional residents of the center began to migrate to more rural areas like Providencia and Ñuñoa, which attracted the oligarchy and [[Immigration to Chile|European immigrant]] professionals, and [[San Miguel, Chile|San Miguel]] for middle-class families. Additionally, in the periphery, villas were built by various organizations of the time. Modernity also spread in the city, with the introduction of the first theaters, the expansion of the telephone network, and the opening of Los Cerrillos Airport in 1928, among other advancements.
[[File:Ollas comunes en 1932.jpg|thumbnail|left|130px|Women prepare community soup kitchens in 1932 to feed the unemployed.]]

The perception that the early 20th century was a time of economic prosperity due to technological advancements was in stark contrast to the living conditions of lower social classes. The previous decades of growth resulted in an unprecedented population boom starting in 1929, but was met with tragedy as the [[Great Depression]] hit. The collapse of the nitrate industry in the north left 60,000 people unemployed, compounded by a decline in agricultural exports, resulting in an estimated 300,000 unemployed people nationwide. Desperate for survival, many migrants flocked to Santiago and its thriving industry. However, they often found themselves struggling to find housing, with many being forced to live on the streets. The harsh living conditions resulted in widespread diseases like tuberculosis, and took a toll on the homeless population. At the same time, unemployment rates and living costs skyrocketed, while the salaries of the people in Santiago fell.

[[File:Santiago de Chile 1930.jpg|thumbnail|View of [[Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins|La Alameda]] in 1930.]]
The situation would change several years later with a new industrial boom fostered by [[CORFO]]  and the expansion of the state apparatus from the late 1930s. At this time, the aristocracy lost much of its power, and the middle class, composed of merchants, bureaucrats, and professionals, acquired the role of setting national policy. In this context, Santiago began to develop a substantial middle- and lower-class population, while the upper classes sought refuge in the districts of the capital. Thus, the old moneyed class, who previously frequented Cousiño and Alameda Park, lost their hegemony over popular entertainment venues, and the [[Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos|National Stadium]] emerged in 1938.

=== Greater Santiago ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:300px; font-size:90%; margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;"
|+Relative growth of Santiago, by communes<ref name="ramon">{{Cite web |last=De Ramón |first=Armando |author-link=Armando de Ramón |year=2000 |title=Memoria Chilena - Documentos |url=http://www.memoriachilena.cl/mChilena01/temas/documento_detalle.asp?id=MC0007069 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327120403/http://www.memoriachilena.cl/mChilena01/temas/documento_detalle.asp?id=MC0007069 |archive-date=27 March 2008 |access-date=2015-06-12 |publisher=Editorial Sudamericana |location=Santiago, Chile |language=es |id=[http://www.memoriachilena.cl/mChilena01/temas/documento_detalle.asp?id=MC0007069 Memoria Chilena: MC0007069] |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|- align=center
! !!1940!!1952!!1960!!1970
|- align=right
|align=left|[[Pudahuel|Barrancas]]||100||223||792||1978
|- align=right
|align=left|[[Conchalí]]||100||225||440||684
|- align=right
|align=left|[[La Granja, Chile|La Granja]]||100||264||1379||3424
|- align=right
|align=left|[[Las Condes]]||100||197||506||1083
|- align=right
|align=left|[[Ñuñoa]]||100||196||325||535
|- align=right
|align=left|[[Renca]]||100||175||317||406
|- align=right
|align=left|[[San Miguel, Chile|San Miguel]]||100||221||373||488
|- align=right
|align=left|[[Santiago (commune)|Santiago]]||100||104||101||81
|}
In the following decades, Santiago continued to grow at an unprecedented rate. In 1940, the city had a population of 952,075 residents, which increased to 1,350,409 by 1952, and reached 1,907,378 in the 1960 census. This growth was reflected in the urbanization of rural areas on the outskirts of the city, where middle and lower-class families with stable housing were established. In 1930, the urban area covered 6,500 hectares, which increased to 20,900 in 1960 and to 38,296 in 1980. Although growth was mainly concentrated in communities such as Barrancas to the west, [[Conchalí]] to the north, and La Cisterna and La Granja to the south, the center of the city lost population, leaving more space for commercial, banking, and government development. The upper class, on the other hand, began to settle in the foothills of Las Condes and the [[La Reina, Chile|La Reina]] sector.

The regulation of growth in Santiago only began in the 1960s with the creation of various development plans for Greater Santiago, a concept that reflected the city's new reality as a much larger urban center. In 1958, the Intercommunal Plan of Santiago was released, which proposed a limit of 38,600 urban and semi-urban hectares for a maximum population of 3,260,000 residents. The plan also included plans for the construction of new avenues, such as the [[Américo Vespucio Avenue]] and [[Chile Route 5|Panamericana Route 5]], as well as the expansion of 'industrial belts'. The [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 World Cup]] provided a new impetus for city improvement efforts, and in 1966, the [[Santiago Metropolitan Park]] was established on Cerro San Cristóbal. The Ministry of Housing and Urbanism ([[:es:Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo de Chile|MINVU]]) also began to eradicate [[Campamento (Chile)|shantytowns]] and build new homes. Finally, the [[Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral|Edificio Diego Portales]] was constructed in 1972.

[[File:1965 3ra etapa.jpg|thumbnail|left|Extension of Greater Santiago, in 1965.]]
In 1967, the new [[Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport|Pudahuel International Airport]] was opened, and after years of discussion, construction of the [[Santiago Metro]] began in 1969. The first phase of the Metro, which ran beneath the western section of Alameda, was opened in 1975 and soon became one of the most prestigious buildings in the city. Over the following years, the Metro continued to expand, with two perpendicular lines in place by the end of 1978. Building telecommunications infrastructure was also an important development of this period, as reflected in the construction of the [[Torre Entel]], which, since its construction in 1975, has become one of the symbols of the capital and remained the tallest structure in the country for two decades.

After the military [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|coup of 1973]] and the establishment of the [[Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–90)|military regime]], significant changes in urban planning did not occur until the 1980s when the government embraced a [[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] economic model. In 1979, the master plan was revised, expanding the urban area to over 62,000 hectares for real estate development. This led to [[urban sprawl]], particularly in [[La Florida, Chile|La Florida]], causing the city to reach 40,619 hectares in size in the early 1990s. According to the 1992 census, Santiago became the country's most populous municipality, with 328,881 residents. Tragically, a powerful [[1985 Algarrobo earthquake|earthquake]] struck the city on 3 March 1985, causing minimal casualties but leaving many homeless and destroying numerous historic buildings.

=== The metropolis in the early twenty-first century ===
[[File:Gran Torre Santiago, Costanera Center (24847266437).jpg|alt=|left|thumb|275x275px|The [[Gran Torre Costanera]] is the tallest building in [[South America]] and second tallest in [[Ibero-America]]. It is part of the [[Costanera Center]] complex, ]]
[[File:Santiago from sky costanera 2018.jpg|thumbnail|left|Northwestern [[Las Condes]] from [[Gran Torre Santiago|Sky Costanera]] in 2018]]With the onset of the [[Chilean transition to democracy|transition to democracy]] in 1990, the city of Santiago surpassed four million inhabitants, with the majority residing in the south, particularly in La Florida, which was the most populous area, followed by Puente Alto and Maipú. The real estate development in these municipalities, as well as in others such as Quilicura and Peñalolén, was largely driven by the construction of housing projects for middle-class families. Meanwhile, high-income families relocated to the foothills, now commonly referred to as ''Barrio Alto'', boosting the population of Las Condes and giving rise to young communes, including [[Lo Barnechea]] and [[Vitacura]], both established in 1981 and 1991, respectively.

The area around [[Providencia Avenue]] became an important commercial hub in the eastern sector. This development extended to the ''Barrio Alto'', which became an attractive location for the construction of high-rise buildings. Major companies and financial corporations established themselves in the area, giving rise to a thriving modern business center commonly known as ''[[Sanhattan]]''. The departure of these companies to ''Barrio Alto'' and the construction of [[Shopping mall|shopping centers]] all around the city created a crisis in the city center. To reinvigorate the area, the government transformed the main shopping streets into pedestrian walkways, as it did in the 1970s, and offered tax benefits for the construction of residential buildings, which attracted young adults.

The city faced a series of problems due to disorganized growth. During the winter months, [[air pollution]] reached critical levels and a layer of [[smog]] blanketed the city. In response, the authorities implemented legislative measures to reduce industrial pollution and placed [[Road space rationing|restrictions]] on vehicle use. To address the problem of transportation, the metro system underwent significant expansion, with lines being extended and three new lines added between 1997 and 2006 in the southeastern sector. In 2011, a new extension was inaugurated in Maipú, bringing the total length of the metropolitan railway to {{Convert|105|km|abbr=on}}. In the early 1990s, the bus system also underwent a major reform. In 2007, the master plan known as [[Transantiago]] was established, although it has faced various challenges since its implementation.

[[File:Titanium La Portada (38888739395).jpg|thumbnail|[[Titanium La Portada]]]]
Entering the 21st century, rapid development continued in Santiago. The Civic District was revitalized with the creation of the [[Plaza de la Ciudadanía]] and the construction of the Ciudad Parque Bicentenario, which marked the [[Bicentennial of Chile|bicentenary]] of the Republic. The trend of constructing tall buildings continued in the eastern sector, which was highlighted by the opening of the [[Titanium La Portada]] and [[Gran Torre Santiago]] skyscrapers in the [[Costanera Center]] complex.

On 27 February 2010, a [[2010 Chile earthquake|powerful earthquake]] hit the capital city of Santiago, causing damage to some older buildings and rendering some modern structures uninhabitable. This sparked a heated discussion about the actual implementation of mandatory earthquake standards in the city's modern architecture.

Despite urban integration efforts, socioeconomic inequality and geosocial fragmentation remain two of the most important problems, both in the city and in the country. These problems have been considered one of the factors that led to the ''"[[Estallido Social]]"'', a series of massive protests and severe riots carried out between 2019 and 2020. The protests led to a serious civil confrontation, which led to thousands of arrests and accusations of human rights violations. Meanwhile, the demonstrations registered serious episodes of violence against public and private infrastructure, mainly in the surroundings of [[Plaza Baquedano]], with the [[Santiago Metro]] being one of the most affected by these episodes: more than half of its stations registered damage (several being partially set on fire) and only eleven months later the network returned to full normal service.