4 March. Since the devastating earthquake on 27 February, Chilean heritage institutions have been focusing on assessing the damages to cultural heritage. Once more information will be gathered, there will be a request for international support to help them face the many challenges ahead.

Our Chilean colleagues are demonstrating strength and organization in such a difficult moment and ICCROM commends their efforts.

As we become aware of them, we are listing institutions that are mobilizing efforts and raising funds to this end. Please check back frequently.

Updates

11 March. The Dirección de Bibliotecas, Archivos y Museos (DIBAM) of Chile has information on the state of both immovable and movable heritage. We are happy to learn that 93 million documents of the National Archive are unharmed, as are the holdings of the National Library. Only 11 of the 3 million objects in the national museums in the country were damaged.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the built heritage in the affected regions, which has suffered considerable damage.

Chilean recovery efforts

• Chile 2010: Blue Shield
  Blue Shield solidarity on Facebook.

• ICOMOS Chile has created an interactive map for the World Heritage City of Valparaiso, in order to locate damaged buildings.

• Asociación Gremial de Conservadores Restauradores
  The Association of Chilean conservator-restorers.

• Colegio de Bibliotecarios
  Chilean association of librarians.

• Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile
  Chilean association of architects.

• CICOP (Federación Internacional de Centros para la Conservación del Patrimonio): CICOP-Chile
  International Federation of Centres for Heritage Preservation.

• Centro Nacional de Conservación y Restauración
  Chilean National Centre of Conservation and Restoration.

Media coverage

• 3 March. Terracotta Warriors Safe after Chile Earthquake
  CRIEnglish, China
  Chinese relics, including some of the famed terracotta warriors, on display in Chile since December have survived the quake that rocked the South American country on Feb. 27.

• 3 March. Documenting the Damage in Chile
  New York Times, United States
  An 8.8-magnitude quake struck Chile early Saturday morning, shaking the capital of Santiago, bringing down buildings and setting off tsunami warnings along the Pacific rim. New York Times readers are sharing their photographs of the quake's aftermath, and are invited to submit photos.

• 1 March. Trabajos Voluntarios en el Barrio Yungay tras terremoto
  Medio a Medio, Chile
  Informate y úneta estos Trabajos Voluntarios en el Barrio Yungay.

• 1 March. Destruction at Museum of Contemporary Art
  CNN, United States
  These images were taken on the third day after the quake in front of the MAC - Museum of Contemporary Art - here in central Santiago. 

• 1 March. Damage feared at Chile’s Valparaiso
  IIC
  The extent of the damage to Chile’s cultural heritage has not yet been established as efforts concentrate on humanitarian relief in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

• 1 March. Patrimonio cultural e histórico de Santiago severamente dañado
  Letralia, Venezuela
  Entre los edificios patrimoniales más afectados en Santiago de Chile por el terremoto de este sábado 27 de febrero, se encuentran la Biblioteca Nacional, Recoleta Dominica, las dos sedes del Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC) —en Parque Forestal y Quinta Normal—, el Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA), el Museo Histórico Nacional, el Museo de la Educación Gabriela Mistral y el edificio de Herrera, donde funciona desde 2009 el Registro de Propiedad Intelectual.

• 27 February. M 8.8 Earthquake strikes Chile
  Global Risk Forum
  On Saturday, February 27th, at 3:34 am local time, a devastating magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Chile, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded.

updated on: 10 May, 2010