La Chascona/Museo de Pablo Neruda

I have to say that seeing two of the three houses of Pablo Neruda was definitely THE highlight of my time in Santiago. Neruda was a Nobel Prize winner for his poetry, the second in Chilean history. The first was Grabiela Mistral. Both are huge national figures, Mistral for her dedication to education and promotion of the arts in Chile, and Neruda for his simple eloquence; pride in not only Chilean, but South American heritage; and for his colorful lyfestyle and humor, all of which is evident when touring his houses. Neruda died in 1973, not long after the Coup d'Etat in which the socialist Allende was overthrown by Pinochet, who ruled with a ruthless dictatorship for the next 18 years. Of the Neruda houses, La Chascona, the one in Santiago, was ransacked the most at the time of the coup, because Neruda was considered part of the opposition. Neruda's widow (his third wife), Matilde, later formed the Neruda Foundation to protect the houses and share the rich literary and cultural past of her husband's life with the world. So tucked away in a quiet corner of this bohemian barrio, is a tastefully created monument to this literary giant who could say so much with just a few words.

Each of these pillars has a verse, final words of reflection and advice from a life well-lived.

She took many objects and books from the other two houses to restore La Chascona to something like its original state. It was named La Chascona (wild hair) after her wild and crazy red hair(see the iron-work design on the door),

although he bought and built the original part of this house to conceal a secret love affair which did not last more than two years. As with all his houses, the spaces were small, intimate and full of interesting objects from around the world, but many from the dump and flea markets. Paintings and other objects given as party gifts by Neruda's circle of artistic friends adorn the houses.

This painting of Matilde, a gift from Diego Rivera, depicts the two sides (public and private) of Neruda's wife. Creatively included in the wild and wavy red hair on the right side is Neruda's profile. La Chascona has a strong theme of ships and the ocean, perhaps because the house was no where near the water and he missed it so much when he was in Santiago that he recreated some of the sensations of life on a boat in this house. This house has three bars,

because he like to entertain so much. Neruda would preside behind the bar, often in costume. He did not drink so much, but wanted to make sure that people were having fun and that the conversation was lively. His dining room had a long ships table

with a window that overlooked a canal running right through the property with a wall behind it painted blue like the horizon seen out of a ship's porthole. He liked secret stairways and surprise entrances, where he could liven up the party with a change of costume! At the far end of the dining room is a cupboard, the right side of which conceals one such secret entryway. The bedroom is up a few levels and his writing area even higher, with great views for reflection...everything connected by small winding paths and stairways as well as objects from around the world and the dump.

Matilde, in making the museum, had the canal diverted and filled in to protect the house and its objects. As I left I noted the water running in the street through small channels in the tiles and pavers. It meant nothing to me before I went in, but made total sense as I departed.