Public Art in Valparaíso City

Valparaiso is a seaport city in Chile. The city was a major stopover for ships travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans before the 1914 opening of the Panama Canal and was often referred to by international sailors as “Little San Francisco” and “The Jewel of the Pacific.” The opening of the canal had a devastating effect on the economy of Valparaíso as ship traffic suddenly decreased, however, it still ranks as the country’s most commercially important seaport. The city was declared a World Heritage site in 2003.