Quillota The city of Quillota is located in the Aconcagua river valley, in the Valparaiso region of Chile. It is the largest city of the valley with many habitants living in the sorrounding farmland areas of San Isidro, La Palma, Pocochay and...

Quillota The city of Quillota is located in the Aconcagua river valley, in the Valparaiso region of Chile. It is the largest city of the valley with many habitants living in the sorrounding farmland areas of San Isidro, La Palma, Pocochay and San Pedro. It is an important agricultural center (mainly because the plantations of avocado and cherimoya trees) and the capital of the Comuna and the Province with the same name. Quillota is united to the city of La Calera by the small town of La Cruz.

Quillota is located in central Chile at latitude 32º 52' S, longitude 71º 15' W, 120 km from the capital Santiago and 60 km from Valparaiso.

In this place where living native americans from the Bato and Lleo-Lleo Culture, because of the fertility of the zone. They lived at south of the Aconcagua River. The natives where influenced later by mapuches and diaguitas. Thanks to the diaguitas, the local culture evolved to the Aconcagua, famous for their pottery.

Diego de Almagro arrived to the valley in 1536. Incan scouts informed him about a beautiful and very fertile valley where the 'Quillotas' were dwelling. Before him, a convicted Spanish soldier from Peru called Don Gonzalo Calvo de Barrientos lived in the valley and learnt their lenguage and culture. Almagro was delighted with the valley, but he was searching for gold and since the Aconcagua River had none of it, he returned to Peru.

Later in 1540, Pedro de Valdivia arrived in Chile with the title of 'Governor of Chile'. He arrived in the valley and built farms and houses, mainly for the slaves and the indians who where working for him. Almost the whole area occupied by Quillota at present was property of Valdivia.

In 1585 Quillota became the administrative place of a large province. Then, in 1717 was founded as a city called 'Village of San Martin de la Concha of Quillota' in the valley sorrounding the Mayaca Hill. It was founded by the Bishop Luis Romero and the Governor Don José Santiago Concha y Salvatierra.

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