Editing Santiago (section)

===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>