Timeline
La Serena, a jewel of northern Chile, was founded by Juan Bohon on September 4, 1544. This historic city was majestically established next to the mouth of the Elqui River, a place of great natural beauty.
The Spanish captain Francisco de Aguirre played a crucial role in the history of La Serena, as he was the one who refounded this city.
The construction of the avenue was undertaken with the vision of creating a vibrant public promenade. Trees of different species such as poplars, acacias and oriental planes were planted, giving the place natural and diverse beauty.
To commemorate the Republic's Centennial, a majestic marble gateway was erected, a symbol of pride and celebration that adorns the entrance to the avenue.
During the presidency of Gabriel G. Videla, the ambitious Serena Plan was implemented. This plan included the gradual placement of sculptures along the avenue, all of them replicas of famous works of art that were created in the prestigious workshops of Genoa, Italy.
One of the contracting companies associated with the entity was responsible for the demolition of the 'Erma' statue.
In 2017, the sculptures of Francisco de Aguirre Avenue in La Serena, Chile, "awoke" hooded in a symbolic act of tribute to the Toledo brothers. The action of hooding the sculptures was a powerful way to draw attention to the Toledo brothers' cause.
During the period of social unrest in Chile, Francisco de Aguirre Avenue became an epicenter of demonstrations. In a symbolic act of protest, the statue of the conqueror Francisco de Aguirre was demolished, burned and used as a barricade.
The name change from Francisco de Aguirre Avenue to Diaguitas Avenue began to emerge socially from October 18, 2019. This change was driven by citizens and the Diaguita community, who wanted the main and most touristic street of La Serena to change its name. During social demonstrations, the avenue was identified and named as "Diaguitas Avenue" by thousands of people, reclaiming the ancestral legacy of the Diaguita territory. Even in the road signs of the avenue, the name change is already visible. However, it should be noted that this name change has not been officially approved.
The figure of the woman, representative of our people, emerges from local art as a maternal and kind symbol. It is essential that this figure highlights the importance of matriarchy and becomes the gateway to the city, a space that is in tune with its history and identity.
The image that was erected in place of the Francisco de Aguirre figure, which was destroyed during one of the numerous demonstrations in the region, was set on fire this Wednesday by unidentified persons.
In 2020, a team from the National Center for Conservation and Restoration conducted a first survey of the statues on Francisco de Aguirre Avenue. The first diagnosis was that in general the state of conservation was good. However, in an analysis of these results, it was revealed that at least two statues should be removed because they represent a risk.
The municipality of La Serena has presented a proposal to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MINVU) Program, with the objective of improving the avenue space. Since the so-called "Open Air Museum" of the avenue has the category of Historical Monument, it enjoys heritage protection. Therefore, any improvement project must take into account the historical and cultural importance of the place.