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TheFormer National Congress Building (ex Congreso Nacional) is the former home of theChileanCongress. Congress met in this building in centralSantiago untilSalvador Allende's socialist government was overthrown byAugusto Pinochet's militarycoup d'état on September 11, 1973.[1]
During the Pinochet dictatorship, Congress was moved to new premises inValparaíso;[1] the old building was declared a national monument in 1976 and between 1990[1] and 2006 housed the ministry of foreign affairs. The Senate moved its offices in Santiago to this building in December 2000. On January 26, 2006 theChamber of Deputies recovered its old offices.[clarification needed][citation needed]
Work began on the original building underPresidentManuel Montt Torres (1851–1861), but the construction was not completed until 1876, during the presidency ofFederico Errázuriz Zañartu. The building was destroyed by fire in 1895, rebuilt, and reopened in 1901, during theParliamentary Era. It stands on Morandé 441 near theBlvd. Liberador Bernardo O'Higgins, partially surrounded by gardens[1] that contain a variety of exotic trees and plant life. The eastern portion of the gardens was the former site of theChurch of the Company.
The building has a cross within a square plan, which creates four courtyards. It also features classicalpedimentedporticos withCorinthian columns on the north and east facades.[2] The building and its gardens occupy a complete city block, which is adjacent to city blocks containing other nationally significant buildings such as theSantiago Metropolitan Cathedral, thePalacio de los Tribunales de Justicia de Santiago and the building that currently houses theMuseo Chileno de Arte Precolombino.
The building is open to the public on a limited basis.[1]
Media related toPalacio del ex Congreso Nacional de Chile at Wikimedia Commons33°26′16″S70°39′11″W / 33.43778°S 70.65306°W /-33.43778; -70.65306