Neighbourhood Yungay
This neighbourhood was officially created in the nineteenth century, under the authority of Joaquín Prieto, although many of the buildings are of the eighteenth century. Its importance is not only due to its buildings, but also because it is the first urban planning of the city of Santiago.
In the central square you can find the famous monument Al Roto Chileno, which is a tribute to the triumph of the battle of Yungay against the Peru-Bolivian confederation in 1839. The construction was build year later in 1888.
In the beginning, the wealthier families of Santiago built large houses in this district, which you can still appreciate nowadays. Others because of the modernity not longer exist. In the greatest economic moment, there was a train station.
Over time, the neighbourhood began to inhabit the poorest families in the city and reached more than 65 cités (popular housing peaked in 1940).
After having suffered from a decay, in the 1990s with the help of reconstructions and actions of the neighbours, the neighbourhood is now an important place to know, where every January the typical carnival takes place.
How to get there: Metro Cumming, Metro República o Metro Quinta Normal, from there you have to walk a couple of blocks to be in the center of the district Yungay.
More information about the neighbourhood Yungay can be found Wikipedia and Memoria Chilena.