Chilotan architecture is a unique

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

that is mainly restricted to the

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago (, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the s ...

, and neighboring areas of southern

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 ...

. This style shows the blending of European styles with indigenous building methods and material. Catholic churches built here show the most significant representation of this style, with 16 being designated as

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

History

The Chiloé Archipelago, a group of islands off the West coast of Chile, has a unique colonial architecture that differs substantially from typical Chilean Spanish colonial architecture. These differences are due to both the physical isolation of these islands and their access to different materials, mostly wood. Spanish colonists arrived in the 16th century and were followed by

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

missionaries in the 17th century. The combination of indigenous culture and Jesuit influences lead to a

mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

culture and a unique architecture. ;Spanish Colonial Churches The activities of the Jesuits resulted in the building of 150+ wooden

Catholic churches In the Catholic Church, a parish () is a stable community of the faithful within a particular church, whose pastoral care has been entrusted to a parish priest (Latin: ''parochus''), under the authority of the diocesan bishop. It is the lowest ecc ...

and other religious buildings as a part of the

Indian Reductions Reductions (, also called ; ) were settlements established by Spanish rulers and Roman Catholic missionaries in Spanish America and the Spanish East Indies (the Philippines). In Portuguese-speaking Latin America, such reductions were also c ...

mandated by the Crown for

Spanish colonization of the Americas The Spanish colonization of the Americas began in 1493 on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) after the initial 1492 voyage of Genoa, Genoese mariner Christopher Columbus under license from Queen Isabella ...

, 60 of which remain today. Typical elements of Catholic churches, basilica layout, vaulted ceilings, symmetrical tower facades, and arched entrances, are presented in these churches but without the recognizable material stone. Instead, locals built these churches entirely out of wood, using ship-building techniques.World Monuments Fund. ''World Monuments : 50 Irreplaceable Sites to Discover and Champion : In Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of World Monuments Fund''. New York, Ny, Rizzoli, 2015. Even fasteners and other typically metal connections were made with wood. These churches were mostly placed along the coastline to serve as navigational aids for sailors.World Monuments Fund. “Chiloé Churches.” ''World Monuments Fund'', 2017
www.wmf.org/project/chilo%C3%A9-churches
;Houses and other buildings Wood is the main building material in all Chilotan architecture and many different species are used for different reasons.

Cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

, mañio,

ulmo The Valar (; singular Vala) are characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. They are "angelic powers" or "gods" subordinate to the one God (Eru Ilúvatar). The ''Ainulindalë'' describes how some of the Ainur choose to enter the w ...

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

, coigue, and larch, or fitzroya wood are the most commonly used. Ulmo wood is primarily used for structural elements and fitzroya was often used for shingles due to its good properties to resist moisture and other environmental factors.Pareti, S., et al. “Ancestral and Vernacular Architecture as Contemporary Heritage, Tourist and Cultural Resource. The Case of the ‘Palafitos’ and the Route of the 16 UNESCO Heritage Churches of Chiloé, Chile.” ''IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science'', vol. 1026, no. 1, 2022, pp. 12051-, doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1026/1/012051. Used in both churches and houses, it became a very recognizable material for its rich color. The roof shingles of fitzroya came to be used as money and called ''

Real Real may refer to: Currencies * Argentine real * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Nature and science * Reality, the state of things as they exist, rathe ...

de Alerce''.

Palafitos Stilt houses (also called pile dwellings or lake dwellings) are houses raised on stilts (or piles) over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding; they also keep out vermin. The ...

, or

stilt houses Stilt houses (also called pile dwellings or lake dwellings) are houses raised on stilts (or piles) over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding; they also keep out vermin. The ...

are a staple in Chiloe. These houses typically consist of a base of stilts or piles, with a gable roof and a central kitchen to help heat the entire home. The reason for these houses being built into the water was to accommodate fishing, a large part of Chilotan culture. This style is observed in other parts of the world, however, the longevity of these houses is notably higher in Chiloe, primarily due to the properties of the wood available in the area.

References

External links

UNESCO World Heritage Site - The Churches of Chiloe
Architecture in Chile Architectural styles Chiloé Archipelago Colonial architecture in Chile {{arch-style-stub

History

See also

References

External links