Palacio de La Moneda (Mint) is now the residence of the President of the Republic of Chile. Also in the building are offices of some members of the Cabinet and the General Secretariat of the Government of Chile. Palacio de La Moneda occupies an entire city block in downtown Sanyago.

The building of the Palacio de La Moneda was designed by Italian architect Joaquin Toeska. Its construction lasted from 1784 to 1805. Building materials arrived from different parts of Chile limestone - from the estate Polpaiko; sand - from the river Maipo; red stones - from a quarry in the Cerro San Cristobal in Santiago; white stone - from the nearby Cerro Blanco; oak and cypress from the Valdivia arrived; Spanish metal was coming from Vizkaya. Twenty varieties of bricks were made in Santiago for the construction of bridges, floors, walls more than a meter thick.

Architect Joaquin Toeska died in 1799 without seeing the completion of the Palacio de La Moneda. Check out the project and to monitor the construction of the palace of La Moneda had military engineer Augustine Cavallero.

The first production of coins in Chile was held at La Moneda in 1814 and continued to 1929. Since June 1845 the Palacio de La Moneda becomes the presidential residence.

During the coup in Chile, September 11, 1973 the military fired on the palace of La Moneda. Restoration of the Palacio de La Moneda was completed in March 1981. Although some traces of that terrible time can be seen in our day: the reign of Augusto Pinochet was carried out construction of an underground office complex President (bunker) for part of the area, to the president could safely leave the walls of the Palacio de La Moneda, in the case of attack.

The odd day at 10 am, you can watch the changing of the guard at the Palacio de La Moneda.