I've been meaning to visit the famous Chilean poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda's Santiago home for some time now. I had heard great things about the whimsical residence of perhaps Chile's most world reknowned son. I finally got around to it on one of my off days this week.
A friend here, Mike, and his girlfriend Caren who is visiting for the week, and I headed into the artsy neighborhood of Bellavista and got to La Chascona just in time for the last tour of the day. Lucky us, we got a private showing with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide.
Pablo Neruda lived from 1904 to 1973, his life spanning a huge, and extremely significant chunk of the twentieth century. He was a member of an extremely influential group of artists working and producing during from the twenties on through the fifties. His house, particularly the decor and the many collectibles he had, reflects how the drastically the world changed in this time period. I've always been fascinated by the first half of the twentieth century, from its literature, to its art, to its history. Wandering the rooms of Neruda's house, imagining him and his artist friends having parties and meetings, and generally having a great time, made me wish I could time travel back and see what it was really like.
La Chascona is one of three houses that Neruda had in Chile. He built it, in part, as a secret getaway to be with his mistress, and the house is named for her: chascona is a word in Quechua meaning messy hair, and Matilde apparently had a mass of unruly red hair. Although he couldn't swim until very late in his life, Neruda was obsessed with the sea, and the house was built to be as similar in design and feel to a boat as possible. The windows are circular, the floor intentionally creaky and slanted, and the staircases small and circular.
Unfortunately, during the 1970s with the military dictatorship, La Chascona was looted and all of the books in the home were burned and some of the valuables lost. Indeed, the quirky, playful feel of the house is underpinned by the dark reality that for much of his life, Neruda was considered an enemy of the state for his communist leanings. Somehow though, he managed to always stay an arm's length ahead of the authorities and was able to continue working as an artist and influential statesman.
A home, of course, reveals much about the person who lived in it--especially when it is a home with the incredible attention to detail of La Chascona. Without a doubt, I finished our visit convinced of the genius and truly unique spirit of Neruda (and excited to read more of his poetry!).
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