La Chascona

(Providencia)

About

Bellavista's prime attraction is one of three homes once owned by Chile's most famous literary artist, the Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. Located a block east of the Plaza Caupolican (the entrance point to the Parque Metropolitano), Neruda lived here with his third wife, Matilde Urutia (the woman with the red, tousled hair for whom the house was named) between 1955 and 1973. As with Neruda's other two homes, La Chascona was built to resemble a ship, with oddly shaped rooms that wind around a compact courtyard. It's fascinating to wander through Neruda's quirky home and observe his collection of precious antiques and whimsical curios collected during his travels. Neruda's library is especially interesting, and it holds the antique encyclopedia set he purchased with a portion of his earnings from the Nobel Prize. The home is headquarters for the Fundación Pablo Neruda, which provides guided tours.

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