Curicó, Maule Region, Chile

🇨🇱 Curicó is a city located in Chile's central valley and serves as the capital of the Curicó Province, which is part of the Maule Region. Positioned between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca, the region stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the border with Argentina.

The city is known for its distinctive products such as cakes, fruits, cement, sugar, tomato sauce, and high-quality export wines. It serves as a major service hub in the central region and is considered Chile's agro-industrial capital due to its consistent economic growth.

Etymology Curicó means "black waters" in Mapudungun, originally meaning "land of black water".

Coat of arms The city's symbol is a heraldic emblem representing the esteemed civic traditions of Curicó's early Spanish settlers. It features a silver knight on a black horse, set against a green field, slaying a golden serpent. The lower part carries the phrase "Noble and Loyal Villa de San José de Buenavista de Curicó", while the upper part displays a golden mural crown.

This coat of arms is a modification of the emblem of field marshal Lorenzo de Labra y Corvalán de Castilla, the landowner where the city's original and modern structures were erected. The Spanish colony was on the verge of adopting this symbol when the War of Independence broke out.

Ahead of Curicó's bicentennial, the Spanish community conducted a thorough study and successfully recovered the coat of arms, whose model is housed in the National Historical Museum in Santiago. On 2 September 1943, a month before the city's anniversary, the municipal council, led by Mayor Carlos Castro, officially declared this coat of arms as the city's emblem.

The coat of arms of the Curicó commune is used in internal and public ceremonies involving the Curicó Municipality. It is also utilized in public events organized by city institutions. Additionally, it serves as an essential element in all official documentation of the municipality, as well as in seals and stamps of the corporation.

History The city of Curicó was originally inhabited by the indigenous Curis ("black"), named after the color of their lands near streams and wetlands.

Founded as San José de Buena Vista de Curicó on 9 October 1743, through donations from residents like Captain Pedro Nolasco Solorza and Mónica Donoso y Navarro, widow of Labra, under the authorization of José Antonio Manso de Velasco, governor of Chile and later viceroy of Peru.

In 1747, Governor Domingo Ortiz de Rozas relocated the city 3 km east due to excessive humidity. However, it didn't thrive until after the 1751 earthquake forced the inhabitants of the old town to move.

Despite its strategic location, the city struggled with a small population and conservative influences from local convents and aristocratic families.

The oldest and most valuable building of the city is La Iglesia San Francisco ("San Francisco's Church"), built in 1734, and came to its current location in 1759.

Curicó gained city status in 1830. Luis Cruz Martínez, a Chilean military figure, is celebrated as the city's hero, and Curicó serves as a central hub for communication, commerce, and the economy of nearby agro-industries.

The 2010 Chilean Earthquake heavily impacted Curicó, causing the collapse of the historic district where sixty percent of houses and ninety percent of the district remain unreconstructed. Examples include the phased inauguration of the San José de Curicó Hospital.

Curicó is known for its strong local identity, fostered by a good neighborhood atmosphere, hero Luis Cruz Martínez, and its football club.

Geography Curicó is on the Guaiquillo River, 183 km (114 mi) south of Santiago along the route of the Chilean Central Railway. The city is situated in the fertile Chilean Central Valley, 228 m (748 ft) above sea-level, in the midst of a comparatively well-cultivated region. The eastern and western sides are mountainous, separated by the Chilean Central Valley. A volcano called Descabezado Grande can be seen from most parts at a distance of eighty kilometers. The commune spans an area of1,328.4 km² (513 sq mi).

The main rivers are the Lontué River and Teno River, which surround the city. The landscape is dominated by the Andes and Chilean Coastal Range.

Demographics According to the 2012 census of the National Statistics Institute, Curicó spans an area of 1,328.4 km² (513 sq mi) and has 147,017 inhabitants (68,768 men and 70,817 women). Of these, 130,506 (84%) lived in urban areas and 19,079 (16%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 14.9% (15,472 persons).

Economy Primary sector The city's main economy relies heavily on agricultural activities, particularly large fruit plantations like apple orchards, cherry trees, vineyards, and kiwi farms, along with annual crops such as sugar beets, industrial tomatoes, wheat, corn, and fresh vegetables. Fruit-exporting companies like Agricom, Unifrutti, Copefrut, Del Monte, and others operate in the area. The city is also home to wineries like Viña San Pedro, Concha y Toro, and Santa Rita, producing wine for both domestic and international markets.

Secondary and tertiary sectors In the tertiary sector, the city offers a full range of services, including financial institutions, transportation, department stores, professional institutes, universities, healthcare facilities, and entertainment options. In 2012, the country's largest particleboard panel plant, owned by Arauco, commenced operations.

In 2007, the region's major shopping centre, Mall Curicó (105,000 m²), owned by Inmobiliaria Mall Viña del Mar S.A., was inaugurated. Anchor stores like Ripley, París, Jumbo, and Easy attract visitors. The mall expanded in 2018, introducing the first H&M store between Santiago and Concepción. In 2019, a unique gastronomic boulevard opened, featuring stores like Burger King, Starbucks, Manarola, and La Serrana. The expansion also brought Cineplanet and the Apple product retail store MacOnline to the area.

In 2019, Mercado Quadra started operations, including the opening of a Tottus supermarket. Future plans include a gym by Energy and additional commercial spaces.

In 2018, Curicó had 5,562 registered companies. The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) for that year was 1.77. Key economic activities with high Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) indices were the Manufacture of Bituminous Mixtures (41.15), Production of Flower, Meadow, Fruit, and Vegetable Seeds (39.54), and Production in Nurseries, Except Forest Species (28.5).

Economy: Tourist Industry Curicó, a city characterized by its wine culture, hosts the Fiesta de la Vendimia ("Wine Harvest Festival") annually from March 15 to 20. This celebration reflects the rich tradition of Creole culture and the city's history, influenced by nearly five centuries of winemaking. Curicó boasts a wine route through the valley.

The Plaza de Armas, designated a "Typical Zone", is a major attraction adorned with sixty phoenix palm trees from the Canary Islands. It features sculptures, water fountains, and an Eiffel-style iron kiosk declared a National Monument. The square includes bronze busts of the city's founder, José Antonio Manso de Velasco, and a monument to the toqui Lautaro, carved by sculptor Heraclio Calquín.

The city's traditional cakes, known as "tortas curicanas", are popular among locals and tourists alike. Tortas Montero gained international recognition in 1995 by entering the Guinness World Records for creating the world's largest cake.

Cerro Condell, a prominent hill in the city centre, is a popular spot during national holidays, offering panoramic views, recreational areas, and the Immaculate Conception monument. The Alameda Antonio Manso de Velasco avenue, adorned with gardens and trees, intersects the city, leading to the San Francisco church. Additionally, Potrero Grande, located around 30 km from Curicó, attracts nature enthusiasts with its mountainous terrain, forests, and waterfalls, ideal for hiking.

Education The city has two universities: • Universidad de Talca (Traditional-Public), • Universidad Católica del Maule (Traditional-Religious),

Higher-education institutions: • Instituto Profesional DuocUC of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile • Instituto Profesional AIEP of the Universidad Andrés Bello

Media The city has one of the oldest newspapers in Chile, La Prensa de Curicó (Press of Curico), founded in 1898. Before the earthquake of 2010, its offices were located in front of the central square, but have been relocated since because the building collapsed.

Sport Curicó is known for its bicycle culture. Many Chilean cyclists of international level started riding in the city, such as Marco Arriagada, Marcelo Arriagada and Luis Fernando Sepúlveda.

The local football team is Club Provincial Curicó Unido.

Administration As a commune, Curicó is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Curicó is represented in the Chamber of Deputies as part of the 36th electoral district, together with Teno, Romeral, Molina, Sagrada Familia, Hualañé, Licantén, Vichuquén and Rauco. The commune is represented in the Senate as part of the 10th senatorial constituency (Maule-North).

Wine region Curicó Valley is a wine-producing region in Chile's Central Valley and a Denomination of Origin (DO) as defined by the Chilean Appellation system, the legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. This area is located 200 km (124 miles) south of Santiago, Chile’s capital city, at 35°S, a similar latitude to the southern tip of Spain. It is divided in two sub-regions: the Teno valley in the north and Lontue in the south. Wine production in this area is known for the variety of grapes, reliability and good value Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Although European vines have been growing in the Curicó area since the mid-1800s, the modern wine production in Curicó began in the late 1970s when Spanish wine maker Miguel Torres decided to explore the capabilities of this area, bringing new technologies such as stainless steel tanks that are now very common in Chilean wine industry. Torres’ endeavour encouraged foreign investment which led to increased plantings and exploration of suitable grape varieties for the area. Today Curicó Valley is today one of the most productive wine regions in Chile. The valley's climate is varied. The eastern part near the Andes is cooler than the western side due to the breezes coming down from the mountains, and most of the biggest producers are located in this area of Curicó and in Molina. At the western end, the coastal range protects the valley from the ocean influence. Curicó Valley is planted with more grape varieties than anywhere else in Chile, but the dominant varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Curicó may have yet to produce a Cabernet Sauvignon to rival Maipo's red wines and its Sauvignon Blanc still does not match the fresh, complex style found in Casablanca, but the valley is one of Chile's workhorse regions and its output is consistent and reliable.

Grape distribution by variety • Climate: Mediterranean climate. 650mm/27.4 in of rain per year. • Soils: clay, sand, decomposed granite. • Primary grapes: Cabernet, Syrah, Carménère, Sauvignon Blanc.