La Chascona facts for kids
La Chascona is a very special house in the Barrio Bellavista area of Santiago, Chile. It used to belong to a famous Chilean poet named Pablo Neruda. La Chascona shows Neruda's unique and creative style. It especially highlights his deep love for the sea. Today, it is a popular place for people to visit and learn about the poet.
Neruda started building this house in 1953. He built it for Matilde Urrutia, who was a very important person in his life. Matilde had beautiful, curly red hair. This inspired the house's name. The word chascona comes from a Quechua word. In Chilean Spanish, it means someone with wild or messy hair.
Inside the house, you can see a painting from 1955. It is called "Matilde" and was painted by Diego Rivera. Neruda gave this painting to Matilde Urrutia. The painting shows Matilde in a way that suggests how she was seen by the public. It also shows how Neruda saw her. There is even a hidden image of Neruda's face in her hair. This shows their special connection. Matilde Urrutia later became Neruda's third wife. She worked hard to fix the house after Neruda passed away in 1973. La Chascona was damaged during the military coup that year.
Today, the Pablo Neruda Foundation takes care of La Chascona. They make sure visitors can enjoy and learn from this historic home.
More to Explore
In Spanish: La Chascona para niños
- Casa de Isla Negra
- La Sebastiana
