Rafael is a town in the commune of
Tomé
Tomé () is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is bordered by Coelemu to the north, Ránquil and Florida to the east, Penco to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The local economy is based mainly on textile ma ...
, in
Concepción Province, in the
Biobío Region
The Biobío Region ( es, Región del Biobío ), is one of Chile's sixteen regions of Chile, regions (first-order administrative divisions). With a population of 1.5 million, thus being the third most populated region in Chile, it is divided int ...
of
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
History
Originally a crossroads on the Camino Real between
Concepcion and
Chillan and
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
. It was first the site of a mill on the
Pingueral River. On October 24, 1657,
Pedro Porter Casanate
Admiral Pedro Porter y Casanate (April 30, 1611 – February 27, 1662) was a Spanish sailor, soldier, explorer of California and Royal Governor of Chile from 1656 to 1662.
Early life
Porter was born in Zaragoza, the second son of Juan Porter and E ...
built a fort ''San Rafael de Coelemu'' to protect the Royal roads and secure the Coelemu region from the attacks of the Mapuche. Later a
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
encomienda
The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. The labourers, in theory, were provided with benefits by the conquerors for whom they laboured, including military ...
and a church were established there. In 1835, it became the capital of the
Department of Coelemu, until the town of
Coelemu
Coelemu is a Chilean commune and city in Itata Province, Ñuble Region. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 16,082 and has an area of .
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Coelemu ...
replaced Rafael as the capital in January 1854. On October 22, 1891, Rafael was made a municipality. On December 30, 1927, it became part of the new Department of Tomé.
See also
*
List of towns in Chile
This article contains a list of towns in Chile.
A town is defined by Chile's National Statistics Institute (INE) as an urban entity possessing between 2,001 and 5,000 inhabitants—or between 1,001 and 2,000 inhabitants if 50% or more of its popu ...
External links
Satellite Maps
Sources
* Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos
''Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile'' 2nd ed, New York, Appleton & Co 1899. pg. 635 Rafael. — Villa
{{coord, 36, 37, S, 72, 46, W, display=title, region:CL_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
San Rafael de Coelemu
Populated places established in 1657
Populated places in Concepción Province
1657 establishments in the Spanish Empire