Car Rentals

Ace Copiapo

Ace Car Rental in Copiapo, Chile

    El Museo MineralogicoEl Museo Mineralogico Copiapo, Chile
    The mineralogical museum in Copiapo, Chile is the most significant of its kind in the nation, and one of the most inclusive in the world; housing a strange ore sensitive to light, as well as being unavailable anywhere in the world today, called rosy silver. This ore is so unique and sensitive to light that it is protected with special lenses and can be viewed at certain times and for not very long. The museum contains a pure sample of silver that has all the original features of the ore and came from Chanarcillo. Another unique and extremely valuable rock was discovered in the Atacama desert and is completely alien in type, without any references or chemical makeup found anywhere else in the world today. The museum contains one of the biggest mineral collection in the world with samples from all over South America that number about 14,000 pieces. Mining has been the main source of income in this region for more than two centuries and continues to be the biggest employer in the region. The museum is operated and maintained by the University of Atacama and about a block from the Plaza Prat. Many of the beautiful samples are pure in nature, including the gold and silver pieces, with one such piece that weighs about 25 pounds. There are numerous samples of local and foreign minerals and rocks, with information and history about each of the pieces in their outstanding collection.

Ace Rent-A-Car had more cheap locations around the world than any other rental car company. Ace Car Rentals offer all the great deals and prices that the other guys do, but they have the most cheap locations that give you the BEST deals in the world. Ace Rental Cars has more cheap locations that will give you the BIGGEST deals in the world today.

    Cathedral of CopiapoCathedral of Copiapo, Chile
    The Copiapo Cathedral in Copiapo, Chile was constructed between 1840 and 1851 in a neoclassical style by William Rogers and replaced the original church that had been built in 1748. This lovely church has a wide entrance crowned by a square tower with three levels that are encompassed by slender columns, which is considered quiet unique in this southernmost country. It is still an active church with services being held on Saturdays and Sundays; but can be toured anytime during the week. The city had remained undeveloped until the early 18th century when gold was discovered and began the incredible growth of the city, its economy and the people that would come here for jobs and hopes of becoming rich, much like the miners of 1849 when they headed to California or the later gold rush to Alaska. It was governor of the colony, Jose Manso de Velasco, that realized in 1744, that the region would need workers and other immigrants to work the new mines for gold and other materials, so he would incorporate the new town, and put a square in it to contain a church and other important businesses to bring more people here and materials. The church was constructed a half block to the west of the square, later called the Plaza de Armas. Once the Jesuit priests had constructed living quarters for themselves, they would begin the construction of the church and the cemetery adjacent it, using the finest masons available, with the work starting in 1748. By 1750 the church was finished, but would not open its doors until 1766, as the local community began to feel the effects of miners and others coming here for adventure and riches. The church was destroyed in 1796 when an earthquake devastated the region, with the new cathedral being constructed starting in 1840, and by 1849, only the roof would be unfinished. Using the French architect, Jean Herbage, they learned that he would recommend against using adobe to construct the church because of the instability of it when the earthquakes hit. They would contract an Englishman named William Rogers who brought 15 carpenters with him to build it out of wood that would be able to "bounce" when the quakes hit and not destroy the structure as well. The church would acquire the neoclassical designs from him, with fir beams and pillars that were brought from the United States via ships, along with oak. The interior of the cathedral has a magnificent silver shrine and wooden altar that was decorated with neoclassical details by Italian artist G. Fiorani.

May 5, 2011