Concepcion History, Chile

Foundation for the city of Concepción was laid by Pedro de Valdivia somewhere in the year 1550. Pedro de Valdivia was the first governor general for Chile and he had played a major role for planning the design of Chile. He started to conquer the regions around River Bio Bio and this is when the city of Concepción was formed. The region, where Pedro de Valdivia laid the foundation for Concepción, today has the city of Penco. The original city of Concepción has been moved to the nearby La Frontera (a region in Chile which lies between two rivers Toltén and Bio Bio).

Pedro de Valdivia gave the name of Concepción del Nuevo Extremo to this newly formed city. Soon the newly formed city was officially given the tag of a city by the Spanish Rulers and the city was gifted with its own coat of arms. In no time the city of Concepción had become an important military hub for Chile but was destroyed by the year 1554. The city was re-invented under the control of García Hurtado de Mendoza (he was governor of Chile and was famous by the tag line of Marquis of Cañete) somewhere in 1557.

The Mapuche armies did continuously attack the city of Concepción but soon the population reached around 10000 inhabitants and the city became the important hub for Spanish armies fighting against the Mapuche armies.

The years between 1565 and 1575 are considered to be the most important time period when the city of Concepción actually grew as a city. During this time, the city was under the control of Royal Audiencia and its Chancellery.

The reasons behind moving the city from its original location to a new location in La Frontera were frequent tsunamis and earthquakes hitting the city. Five officially recorded natural hazards hit the city. The first one to hit the city was somewhere in the year of 1570. Another two were recorded somewhere in 1657 and 1687. Second last was recorded in 1730 and final somewhere in 1751. This was when the city was moved to the La Frontera region and by 1842, the city of Penco started to grow in this old site where the city of Concepción was initially located.

Chile officially became independent in 1818 when Bernardo O'Higgins took oath in the major square located in heart of Concepción.