Purén

City and Commune

Fort of Purén with the town in background

Coat of arms

Map of Purén commune in the Araucania Region

Purén

Location in Chile

Coordinates (city): 38°01′55″S 73°04′22″W / 38.03194°S 73.07278°WCoordinates: 38°01′55″S 73°04′22″W / 38.03194°S 73.07278°W

Government

• Type

Municipality

• Alcalde

Benigno Quiñones Lara (PDC)

Area

• Total

464.9 km² (179.5 sq mi)

Elevation

88 m (289 ft)

Population (2012 Census)

• Total

11,815

• Density

25/km² (66/sq mi)

• Urban

7,604

• Rural

5,264

Sex

• Men

6,408

• Women

6,460

Time zone

CLT (UTC−4)

• Summer (DST)

CLST (UTC−3)

Area code(s)

country 56 + city 45

Website

Official website

Purén is a city (2002 pop. 12,868) and commune in Malleco Province of La Araucanía Region, Chile. It is located in the west base of the Nahuelbuta mountain range (650 km. south of Santiago). The economical activity of Purén is based in forest exploitation and agriculture. The most characteristic product of Purén is the white strawberry which is one of two species of strawberry that were hybridized to create the modern garden strawberry.

In Mapuche language or Mapudungun Purén means swampy place.

San Juan Bautista de Purén was a fort founded by Juan Gomez de Almagro, by order of the Governor of Chile Pedro de Valdivia, almost in the center of the northwest part of the valley of Purén, a little more than a kilometer from the left bank of the Purén River in the Purén valley and about six kilometers to the northeast of the present city of Purén.

This fort was abandoned on the death of Pedro de Valdivia but was reoccupied by García Hurtado de Mendoza, after a bitter campaign with the followers of Caupolicán on May 20, 1558. Guanoalca captured and burned it in 1586. Rebuilt by Governor Alonso de Sotomayor in 1589, it received some improvements but it was always harassed by the Mapuche, and was again abandoned and set afire by them in the 1598 Mapuche rising that exploded after the Disaster of Curalaba.

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Wikipedia