La Moneda

La Moneda, originally a colonial mint (moneda means coin), was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca. Construction began in 1784 and was opened in 1805. The production of coins in Chile took place at La Moneda from 1814 to 1929.
In June, 1845 during president Manuel Bulnes's administration, the palace became the seat of government and presidential residence.
During the military coup d'etat (under Augusto Pinochet and supported by CIA), on September 11, 1973, the palace was partially destroyed by aerial bombing by the Chilean Air Force. Democratic elected President Salvador Allende allegedly killed himself in the palace as it was under assault by the armed forces. Reconstruction and restoration projects were completed on March 11, 1981, although some bullet marks have been preserved and can still be seen nowadays. An underground office complex (the so called "bunker") was built under the front square, during the 1973-1980 restorations to provide a safe escape for Augusto Pinochet and for succeeding Chilean presidents in case of an attack. Pinochet died 2006 before a trial against him and so he was never convicted for his mass murderer crimes.