Linares (Chile)
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Linares is a Chilean city and episcopal see located in the Maule Region and lies in the geographical center of the country, on the fertile central plain, 303 km south of Santiago and 50 km south of Talca, the regional capital. Linares is the capital city of the province of Linares.
[edit] History and current status
Linares was founded on 23 May 1794 as "Villa de San Ambrosio de Linares" by Ambrosio O'Higgins, the then Viceroy of Peru and Bernardo O'Higgins' father. The city counts among its natives important statesmen, politicians, poets, writers and musicians and is currently an active commercial, agricultural, industrial and service center.
The city of Linares houses the Artillery School of the Chilean Army.
[edit] Main sights
The city and its surroundings have many attractions, for example:
- The Cathedral Church of San Ambrosio de Linares. This is one of the finest religious buildings built in Chile in the 20th Century. It was conceived after the Basilica of Saint Ambrose, in Milan, a noble building in the Romanesque style. The Cathedral of Linares was built after the old cathedral had been destroyed by an earthquake. Mgr. Juan Subercaseaux Errázuriz, a visionary churchman and second bishop of the Diocese of Linares, was the bright mind that conceived the new Cathedral and gave beginning to its works.
- The Parish church Corazón de María — a church declared a National Monument for its Gothic style and beauty
- The "Museo de Arte y Artesanía" (Museum of Arts and Crafts)
- Some old houses of colonial style
- A main library
Some natural attractions in the surrounding area include the piedmont of the Andes mountains, with forests of pines and other trees; lakes (the artificial Colbún lake); rivers, and good camping and hiking areas.
Other cities and towns in the province include: Colbún, Panimávida, Longaví, Parral, Retiro, San Javier, Villa Alegre and Yerbas Buenas.