page_title: Valparaíso
section_title: Cityscape
hierarchical_section_title: Valparaíso / Cityscape
caption_attribution_description: Coloured Fronts
context_page_description: Valparaíso is a major city, seaport, naval base and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about 120 kilometres northwest of Santiago by road and is one of the South Pacific's most important seaports. Valparaíso is the capital of Chile's second most populated administrative region and has been the headquarters for the Chilean National Congress since 1990. Valparaíso has two state-owned and several private universities.
  Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Valparaíso experienced rapid growth during its golden age, as a magnet for European immigrants, when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" and "The Jewel of the Pacific". In 2003, the historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage site.
context_section_description: Nicknamed "The Jewel of the Pacific", Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its improvised urban design and unique architecture. In 1996, the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso's unusual system of funicular lifts (steeply inclined carriages) one of the world's 100 most endangered historical treasures. In 1998, grassroots activists convinced the Chilean government and local authorities to apply for UNESCO world heritage status for Valparaíso. Valparaíso was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso has a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy. Valparaíso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  Landmarks include:
  Iglesia de la Matriz
  Plaza Aníbal Pinto
  Plaza Sotomayor
  Edificio Luis Cousiño
  Courthouse
  16 remaining funiculars (called ascensores): 15 public (national monuments) and 1 private (which belongs to "Hospital Carlos Van Buren").
  The Concepcion and Alegre historical district
  The Bellavista hill, which has the "Museo a Cielo Abierto" or "open air museum"
  Monument to Admiral Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
  Monument to Manuel Blanco Encalada, first Chilean President
  Cemeteries on Panteón Hill – Cemetery Number One (Catholic) and Dissidents Cemetery (Protestant)
caption: Many houses in Valparaíso are colourfully painted
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