Putre

(Water murmur- Murmullo de Aguas)

(Water murmur- Murmullo de Aguas)

Putre is located to 11.482 feet of height and is inhabited by 1,235 people. Putre settled down as a town in 1580, acted as establishment for the Spaniards in charge of the traffic between Potosí and Arica.

Regarding Putre architecture, acquires great importance by its buildings constructed during the last century and that show the time of the economy peak. There are conserved decorative elements such as facades, pillars, among others. Many houses conserve the vestibules and the railings of the windows, elaborated in carved stone in century XVII. Most of the constructions are of century XIX and have incorporated these statures of colonial origin.

Around the Plaza de Armas de Putre is located the government, the municipality, the parochial house and the Church constructed in 1670.

The Church of Putre (Iglesia de Putre) was constructed in 1670 in replacement of an older church, destroyed by an earthquake and that, according to the reporters, was covered with gold and silver. Its stone façade, the choir and the outer sky are product of a restoration in 1871. The bell tower is older, of non-precise date. The nave is of adobe, has 108 feet of length and 19 feet of height. Decorated with abundant colonial images of remarkable value, its altar, with a light blue painted stone altarpiece, dates from 1895.

The Parochial House (Casa Parroquial) of Putre has an outer wall formed by stone arcs that belonged to the old runner shaded around the seat. There functions the Museum Father Carlos Schneider, with a sample of the religious art of the province towns. In order to finish the route through Putre, approach by foot the cultivated terraces of the uneven Chilcacahua, with plantations of alfalfa, oregano, potatoes and other vegetables. Ascend the alley to enjoy a view of the town.

The religious Celebrations (Fiestas Religiosas) of Putre are: the Carnival (el Carnaval), in February; the Virgin of the Asunta (Asunción de Maria – The Assumption of the Virgin Mary), the 15 of August and the Pachayampe, celebration of the potato (fiesta de la papa), the first week of November. There are Masses in summer, Saturdays at 20:30 hours, Sundays at 12:00 hours. For visits, you can request for the keys in the Parochial House (Casa Parroquial).

In the way from Arica towards Putre, you can find watered by desert hills, numerous cactus candelabra (cactus candelabro) (Browningia candetaris), that by their special form have the candelabra name. It is a divided arboreal cactus in its superior part that grows naturally only between the 5.577 feet to 9.842 feet of altitude. It reaches 16 feet of height and 19 inches of diameter. It has been much overexploited as wood or as construction material and presently as crafts.

The nearbt attractive tourist sites are the Salar of Surire (Salar de Surire), the Lauca, Spas of Jurasi (Termas de Jurasi), Snows of Tarapacá and Las Vicuñas National Reserve. 4 miles are the geoglyphs of Vilakaure (geoglifos de Vilakaure), that show the importance of the pre-Hispanic cultures.

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