Lolol ( Mapudungun: "land of crabs and holes"; ) is a

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 ...

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

and

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Colchagua Province Colchagua Province ( es, Provincia de Colchagua) is one of three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins (VI). Its capital is San Fernando. It is bordered on the north by Cachapoal Province, on the east by the Argentine Republic ...

, O'Higgins Region.

History

During the 17th century, several Haciendas were created throughout the Colchagua Valley; they were great lands which the King of Spain granted to his conquistadores. After the Chilean Independence in 1818, several mansions were created in the Lolol area, some of which are still standing today, and are part of the local tourism. From the late 19th century, and until the mid-20th century, the Hacienda Lolol and Hacienda Santa Teresa de Quiahue (located southwest of Lolol) were an important part of the local economy. In 2003, central Lolol has declared ational Monument of Chile in the category of Typical and Picturesque Zone, due to the conservation of its colonial structures, culture, and traditions

Demographics

According to the 2002

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of the

National Statistics Institute National Institute of Statistics may refer to: *National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia *National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia *National Institute of Statistics and Census of Costa Rica *National Institute of Statistics and Census of Nica ...

, Lolol spans an area of and has 6,191 inhabitants (3,235 men and 2,956 women). Of these, 2,118 (34.2%) lived in

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

s and 4,073 (65.8%) in

rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descr ...

s. The population grew by 4.2% (247 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Administration

As a commune, Lolol is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2021-2024 mayor is José Román Chávez.

Tourism

The most important part of the town of Lolol is the historical center, where the Iglesia de la Santísima Natividad de la Virgen de la Merced (Church of the Holy Nativity of Our Lady of Mercy) is located. The church has a painting of Chilean painter Alberto Valenzuela Llanos, a portrait of the appearance of the Virgin of Mercy to King James I of Spain. Lolol is known as "Tierra Huasa" (Country Land); traditional events such as

rodeos Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

, ''Trilla a yegua suelta'', ''Carreras a la Chilena'', amid others, take place in the town. In the local medialuna, besides the rodeos, massive events are also performed because of its public capacity.

Santa Teresa de Quiahue

The Santa Teresa de Quiahue area is located southwest of Lolol, near to the border with Maule Region. Its principal productions as a hacienda were mostly based in the cultivation of wheat and wine grapes, and the rearing of sheep. The old ''casa patronal'' (manor house) of Santa Teresa de Quiahue is one of the main attractions; it is the property of Tomás Correa Hogg, grandson of Aliro Correa Fuenzalida, who was its proprietary since the late 19th century. The ''casa patronal'' was constructed in height due to the regular floodings of Estero Quichua. The old part of the building suffered great damage after the earthquake of 27 February 2010.

Hacienda de Lolol

Hacienda Lolol is located from

San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...

, and from Santa Cruz, through the I-72 route. The hacienda comprises lands used for agriculture and animal husbandry, an agricultural y Ganado, a reservoir of ten kilometers where mackerel fishing is common, known as the "Tranque de Lolol", and a four feet high monument near the dam erected to

Saint Isidore the Laborer Isidore the Labourer, also known as Isidore the Farmer ( es, San Isidro Labrador) (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), was a Spanish farmworker known for his piety toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, El ...

. Dedicated to tourism, tourists to Hacienda Lolol may visit the place riding horses, and visit ''Casas patronales'' with lunches of typical Chilean food, accompanied by wines of the Colchagua Valley.

References

External links

Municipality of Lolol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lolol Communes of Chile Populated places in Colchagua Province