Ex Congreso Nacional
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The Former National Congress Building (ex Congreso Nacional) is the former home of the Chilean Congress. Congress met in this building in central Santiago until Salvador Allende's socialist government was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet's military coup d'état on September 11, 1973.
During the Pinochet dictatorship, Congress was moved to new premises in Valparaíso; the old building was declared a national monument in 1976 and, today, it also houses the ministry of foreign affairs.
Work began on the original building under President Manuel Montt Torres (1851–1861), but the construction was not completed until 1876, during the presidency of Federico Errázuriz Zañartu. The building was destroyed by fire in 1895, rebuilt, and reopened in 1901. It stands on Morandé 441 near the Blvd. Liberador Bernado O'Higgins, amidst a remarkable garden that contains a variety of exotic trees and plant life.
The building is open to the public on a limited basis.
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