Casa de Isla Negra
Casa de Isla Negra was one of Pablo Neruda's three houses in Chile. It is located at Isla Negra, a coastal area of El Quisco commune, located about 45 km south of Valparaíso and 96 km west of Santiago. It was his favorite house and where he and his third wife, Matilde Urrutia, spent the majority of their time in Chile. Neruda, a lover of the sea and all things maritime, built the home to resemble a ship with low ceilings, creaking wood floors, and narrow passageways. A passionate collector, every room has a different collection of bottles, ship figureheads, maps, ships in bottles, and an impressive array of shells, which are located in their own "Under the Sea" room.
Neruda and Urrutia are both buried there, with a clear view of their beach. In English, Isla Negra means "Black Island," which refers to a rock outcropping nearby, however Isla Negra is not, in fact, an island.
During the winter, the area is subject to heavy rains, which inspired Neruda to write his Oda a la Tormenta ("Ode to the Storm"). Isla Negra was also Neruda's inspiration for many other poems.
The house is now a writer's home museum, managed by the Pablo Neruda Foundation, and has become a popular tourist destination.
External links
- (English) Pablo Neruda Foundation's Site on Isla Negra
- (Spanish) Casa de Isla Negra
- Pablo Neruda's Grave
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Coordinates: 33°26′34″S 71°41′02″W / 33.44278°S 71.68389°W