Fodor's Expert Review Ex Congreso Nacional

Once the meeting place for the National Congress (the legislature moved to Valparaíso in 1990), this palatial neoclassical building became the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a time but was returned to the Senate for meetings after the Ministry moved to the former Hotel Carrera in Plaza de la Constitución in December 2005. The original structure on the site, the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, was destroyed by a fire in 1863 in which 2,000 people perished. Two bells from that church now grace the elaborate gardens. To coordinate a tour, email [email protected] with at least two days' notice. More formal attire is appreciated, and neither shorts nor baseball caps are permitted. The tour is free and lasts approximately 30 minutes.