Concepcion

Concepcion was founded in 1550 at what is now Penco and moved to its present site after the earthquake and tsunami of 1751 destroyed it there - and it has been hit repeatedly since, including in 1939, 1960 and February 2010, when the magnitude 8.8 quake off this coast damaged much of the centre and the tsunami struck the coastal towns. Chilean independence was proclaimed here in 1818. The city's university, founded in 1919, made it a student town, and out of that came the rock scene of the late 1980s and 1990s - Los Tres, Los Bunkers and others - that reshaped Chilean popular music.

History

Pedro de Valdivia founded Concepción in 1550 at the site of today's Penco, as Concepción de María Purísima del Nuevo Extremo, and it was given the coat of arms still in use; it was wrecked in 1554 and again after it was refounded in 1555, refounded once more on 6 January 1558, and held the Real Audiencia from 1565 to 1575. Earthquakes and tsunamis razed the town in 1570, 1657, 1687, 1730 and 1751, and the authorities moved it to its present site in the Valle de la Mocha beside the Bío Bío; on 1 January 1818 Bernardo O'Higgins proclaimed Chile's independence in its main square, known since then as Plaza de la Independencia (Wikipedia, Concepción, Chile).

What's there

• A city moved after 1751 - destroyed at Penco by earthquake and tsunami.
• Independence proclaimed here - in 1818.
• Damage from 2010 - the magnitude 8.8 quake and its tsunami.
• A student rock scene - the bands that came out of the university town.

When to go

December to March. A full day.

Before you go

The centre is largely modern concrete because of the earthquakes, which disappoints visitors expecting colonial fabric. It rains a great deal. The city is industrial around the edges. Attractions are dispersed.

Nearby

Lota is south along the coast; Talcahuano and the port are adjacent.

Key facts