The Capilla del Carmen, also known as Capilla de la Medalla Milagrosa, is a chapel located on the lower flank of El Litre Hill, in El Almendral neighborhood of

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. Built in 1928, it was run by the

Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...

, who provided care to patients of the adjacent Hospital Carlos Van Buren until March 2017. The chapel was declared as a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

of Chile on May 20, 2003, within the category of Historic Monuments.

History

The Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul arrived to Chile on March 15, 1854 from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, under a specific order of

Manuel Bulnes Manuel Bulnes Prieto (; December 25, 1799 – October 18, 1866) was a Chilean military and political figure who was President of Chile from 1841 to 1851. Born in Concepción, he served as the president of Chile between 1841 and 1851. At the ...

for the care and attention of patients in the hospitals. In 1860, they established themselves in Valparaíso, performing services at San Juan de Dios Hospital, presently Carlos Van Buren Hospital. The chapel was built in 1928, under the supervision of architects Roberto Lorca and Oscar Oyaneder, on land formerly occupied by the oratory of the Hospital Carlos Van Buren, which had been built in 1845.

Description

The church building serves as a

terminating vista In urban design, a terminating vista is a building or an object such as a monument that stands within view in the Sightline (architecture), sightline or at the end or the middle of a road. Function Terminating vistas are considered an importa ...

for the south end of San Ignacio street. It stands on a terrace at the foot of El Litre Hill. Designed in an

eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...

historicist style, the church is constructed of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

with a wooden roof structure. It has a central nave and two small side aisles. The

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d porch has an arched entrance and is surmounted by a half-

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

, which is dwarfed by a steepled tower. The interior of the church contains a polychrome wooden

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

and sculptures made in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, with

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

es from that same country. The church contains altars devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Immaculate Conception, Crucified Christ and to Our Lady of the Green Scapular.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capilla del Carmen (Valparaíso) Buildings and structures in Valparaíso 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Chile Roman Catholic chapels in Chile