The Arco Británico (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for British Arch) is a

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

on Avenida Brasil, in

Valparaíso 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 northwest of Santiago ...

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 ...

. It was donated to the town in 1910 by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

community there to mark the centenary of the Independence of Chile. Designed by the Chilean architect

Alfredo Azancot Alfredo Azancot (born 1 February 1872, dead 1937) was a Portuguese architect, born on São Tomé Island and educated at the École des ponts ParisTech. He emigrated to Chile, and designed many buildings in Viña del Mar, including Brunet Castle, ...

, the arch was unveiled in 1911."Arco Británico"
, ''Turismo Chile - Monumentos en Valparaíso''. Retrieved 19 January 2012. The monument, covered in

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

brought from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, is surmounted by a British Victorian lion and is decorated with the images of four Britons who participated in the Chilean War of Independence: Thomas Cochrane,

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Alth ...

, Robert Simpson and Jorge O'Brien. It also bears the Chilean and

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

coats of arms. The arch was visited by Queen Elizabeth II during her official visit to Chile in 1968, and by Prince Charles in 2009.

References

*This article is closely based on the Spanish version {{DEFAULTSORT:Arco Britanico Buildings and structures in Valparaíso Buildings and structures completed in 1911 Triumphal arches Monuments and memorials in Chile