MundoAndino Home : Chile Guide at Mundo Andino
Queilen
Queilen is a municipality in the Archipelago of Chiloe in southern Chile. It covers a portion of the southeast of the Greater Island of Chiloe, between the communes of Chonchi, Quellon, Tranqui Island and Acuy Island. For the 2002 census, its population had grown to 1,912 inhabitants, according to INE.
Its capital is the town of the same name, known on the island for its beaches and views of the Gulf of Corcovado and the Andes. It has a quieter atmosphere than the larger towns of the province . It was founded by Anthony Cipriano in the early nineteenth century.
This community has with the Public Library No. 333, which since 2002 joined the program Biblioredes services, allowing free access to Internet and technology services closer to all inhabitants from the community.
History
The exact date of the foundation of Queilen is unknown. In 1703 there was an Arab community with a chapel and in 1771 a new church was built. Jesuit missionaries and Spanish settlers, granted encomiendas in the area, gradually occupied Queilen.
Between 1818 and 1821 the Spanish cavalry captain Antonio Cipriano, explored the coastline and drew up maps, preparing the population for military resistance to the expected Chilean landings. In 1890, in recognition of his accomplishments, the area was named after captain Grille. It seems that the community never accepted the name "Puerto Grille" and simply continued to use Queilen.
Architecture
In 1867 Queilen was a little Chilote port with a church. Around 1924 it comprised a few houses, chapel, post office, customs, telegraph, civil registry and state schools. In 1937 a fire destroyed 15 houses, this, added to the isolation of the community, contributed to emigration towards Castro and Ancud. There was a gradual degeneration of the visual quality of the town, which is now being reversed by the incentive of tourism.
External links
Town website
The city of Queilen
Need more information for your travel research or homework?
Ask your questions at the forum about Communes of Chile or help others to find answers.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Queilen
