Central House of the Universidad de Chile

This guide to the Central House of the Universidad de Chile traces the building back to the 1860s, when the government decided to give the university a real home, making it only the third building in the country ever paid for with state money rather than private wealth. You'll hear about the French architect Lucien Henault, who broke ground in 1863 only for construction to freeze when Chile went to war with Spain, and about Fermin Vivaceta, the self-taught bricklayer who took over the unfinished shell. It follows the carved stone shield above the entrance and the building's long path toward completion.