Lolol

Lolol was declared a national monument in 2003 for its colonial and nineteenth century core: continuous adobe frontages with long tiled eaves supported on posts, forming covered walkways along the streets, a building pattern that was once common in central Chile and survives in few places. The earthquake of February 2010 destroyed or badly damaged a large part of it, and what has happened since is a long reconstruction using traditional adobe technique with seismic reinforcement, funded partly by heritage programmes. The result is a village that is partly original, partly rebuilt, and honest about which is which. The Colchagua wine country is around it.

History

In the 17th century the Colchagua valley was divided into large haciendas granted by the Spanish crown, and after independence in 1818 several mansions were built around Lolol, some of them still standing. From the late 19th century to the mid 20th the Hacienda Lolol and the Hacienda Santa Teresa de Quiahue drove the local economy, and in 2003 the centre of Lolol was declared a national monument, a Typical and Picturesque Zone, for its colonial buildings and traditions; the name is Mapudungun for "land of crabs and holes" (Wikipedia, Lolol).

Highlights

• Continuous adobe frontages - with tiled eaves over covered walkways.
• A national monument since 2003 - for that building pattern.
• Heavy damage in 2010 - much of the core destroyed.
• A long reconstruction - traditional adobe with modern reinforcement.

When to go

Year round. Half a day.

Things to know

Reconstruction is visible and ongoing, and some buildings are still braced or empty. The village is small and quiet with limited services. It is a detour from the Colchagua wine route.

Nearby

Santa Cruz and the Colchagua wineries are north-east; Pichilemu is west.

Key facts