With its labyrinth of interconnecting stairways, cobblestone alleys, pedestrian plazas, and vistas, Bellavista Hill is one of the most distinctive of Valparaíso’s 45 hill neighborhoods. The majority of the houses in the neighborhood were constructed between 1880 and 1940 of oak and Douglas Pine with sheet metal façades. (...)
With its labyrinth of interconnecting stairways, cobblestone alleys, pedestrian plazas, and vistas, Bellavista Hill is one of the most distinctive of Valparaíso’s 45 hill neighborhoods. The majority of the houses in the neighborhood were constructed between 1880 and 1940 of oak and Douglas Pine with sheet metal façades. A series of sharply inclined cable cars, called the Elevators of Valparaiso, transport people and goods along the steep topography.
The once vibrant, commercial city began to decline after the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century. As ships changed their routes, the city’s economy was damaged and many houses were abandoned. Much of the original architecture has been slowly deteriorating. The mechanical failure of the elevators due to neglect or insufficient maintenance budgets had especially negative effects, as whole neighborhoods became isolated through a lack of accessible public transportation.
