Santiago is the capital of Chile and the largest city in Chile.(Britannca Editors) In 1945, Isabel Allende’s mother relocated here with her three children. (Allende Timeline) The House of the Spirits may not mention its location, but the reader knows that it is Chile because the story reflects the events that happen in Chile. As we know from class lecture notes, Isabel Allende wrote The House of the Spirits through the letters she sent her grandfather that was in Chile, while she was in Venezuela because she was blacklisted. The image is of la Moneda Palace, also known as “The Mint”, it is a key historic site because it was the official residence of the president of Chile, such as the time of Salvador Allende’s term.(Britannica Editors) That means, the building was witness to General Augusto Pinochet’s coup of 1973 and was the building President Salvador Allende refused to leave. These events are reflected in The House of the Spirits through Jamie’s perspective, where the reader only knows the president as “The President.” The reader gets a detailed perspective on what might have transpired inside of the presidential residence. The capital is also the place the del Valle family mainly were in.
Works Cited
Artie Photography. “La Moneda Palace, also called ‘The Mint’.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/Santiago-Chile#/media/1/523232/327821.
Britannica Editors. "Santiago". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/Santiago-Chile.
Unknown. “Timeline.” Isabel Allende. https://www.isabelallende.com/en/timeline#1953-58