Thursday 11 March 2010

Ancud, Chiloé

The ferry comes into this northern port of Ancud, dominated by a fort, Fuerte San Antonio, built in 1770. The culture of Chiloé has been strongly influenced by isolation from Spanish colonial currents and a dependence on the sea. The islanders were the last supporters of the Spanish Crown in S. America - when Chile rebelled, the last of the Spanish Governors fled to the island and, in despair, offered it to Britain. Canning, the British Foreign Secretary, turned the offer down. The Spanish finally surrendered Chiloé to Chilean troops at this site in 1826.

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