Description of the attraction
The Rioja Palace is the architectural gem of Viña del Mar.
In 1907, Fernando Medel Neila Rioja bought the land on which the farm belonged to Jose Francis Vergara. He decided to move his residence from the city of Valparaiso, which was damaged by the 1906 earthquake. Fernando Medel Rioja commissioned the famous Portuguese architect who lived in France, Alfredo Azancot Levi, to begin the construction of a neoclassical mansion in the center of Viña del Mar.
During the construction of the building, with an area of 3700 square meters, the latest technologies of that time were used: iron and cement were used, electricity for lighting and steam for heating, curtains and tapestries for insulation, water supply and sewerage. The building is surrounded by 40 hectares of landscaped park, where an exotic plant nursery, gardens, a private theater, stables, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc. are located.
The luxurious interior of the palace is decorated with antiques in the Empire, Baroque, Rococo styles, brought from Spain and France.
In 1920, Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria lived in this building for three months, who was invited by then President Arturo Alessandri Palma on the anniversary of the discovery of the Strait of Magellan. This visit was an important recognition of the sovereignty of the State of Chile.
In 1956, the palace became the property of the municipality of Viña del Mar. The mayor's office was located here for several years. Since 1979, the building has housed the Museum of Decorative Arts with a collection of the late 19th - early 20th century. Since 1985, the Rioja Palace has been a Chilean National Monument.
This palace also has its own ghosts. According to legend, Don Fernando Rioja married his daughter, but after the wedding she was returned back to her father's house, as she turned out to be the beloved of a simple coachman who was killed within the walls of the palace. Since then, his ghost has been looking for his beloved. Don Fernando Rioja's spirit, dressed in old clothes, also roams the castle after his death. Many people see and hear a beautiful piano melody, although no one touches the instrument.
