The museum collection that comes from the 5 continents is the legacy of a visionary for the social and cultural development of Chile and particularly of the Biobio Region where the museum is located.
Pedro Del Río Zañartu (1840-1918) was aware of the benefits of culture and education for the social development of a nation. His travels around the world did not push him away from his hometown, Concepcion. His letters and travel logs expressed affection for his country and Hualpen. He dedicated his passionate labor as a collector to all the people who would benefit from a public museum, which in his view would allow any person to have contact with other cultures.
His first trip around the world took place between 1880 and 1882 and it was the only trip that led him to eastern Asia. Using the transoceanic mail system during his trips, he sent letters that were published in the El Sur magazine, a newspaper printed at that time in the city of Concepción. All the anecdotes, reflections and information published about the different places he visited gave rise to his first book entitled A Chilean’s Trip Around The World published in 1883. His travel logs make him one of the first Chileans to travel around the world and bring back home the benefits of an experience and a collection that “was intended as a gift to my country, Chile” as he said.
In his will, this visionary gave his estate and all it contained to the citizens of Concepción. In 1938, the Pedro Del Río Zañartu Park and Museum was opened to public, fulfilling his wish that any person, without distinction, could be able to enjoy nature and learn about other cultures.
Today a national historic monument, the house-museum is located in the highest part of Hualpen peninsula. It was his second residence and the one he enjoyed the most as he was closer to his collections and to the immense and beautiful nature that surrounded him.
Pedro del Rio was an entrepreneur, philanthropist and an active member of his local society. He was the founder and director of Bank of Concepcion and a culture promoter of his time collaborating in the creation of the Concepcion Theater, the Concepcion Club, the Clinic Hospital and the University of Concepcion. He left a mark as a patriot developing projects for greater social equity. His legacy is present in a neighborhood, a street, a high school, a soccer team, a park and a museum that gratefully bear his name.
His experience and the creation of the museum contributed to expanding the cultural horizon of the Biobio Region. Visiting his museum is a way of continuing to learn about Pedro del Rio as is reading his travel logs published in 1883. To learn more about the local history, the book “Pedro Del Río Zañartu, Philanthropist and Universal traveler”, written in 1997 by Chilean historian Armando Cartes Montory, can be reviewed.