Spanish architect José Forteza was the creative mind behind this otherworldly building. Commissioned as a residence for the influential lawyer and politician Luis Undurraga García Huidobro, the palace was a true mix of styles-otherwise known as eclecticism’s last hurrah in Santiago. Each of the four floors showed off its character: imagine gothic columns on the ground floor holding up solemn arches, a second floor with seventeen windows, each with a different, flamboyant gothic touch-sort of like stained glass at a disco. The third floor ramped up the decoration with even more ornate balconies, and at the top, a sprawling attic dotted with lanterns and little towers just to really drive home that “haunted castle” look.
But inside, things got even livelier: the ground floor was home to shops like the famous Signese hat store (because every castle needs a good hat), salons, a billiard room, a cozy chapel, and an elegant dining room on the upper levels, bustling family quarters above that, and service spaces way up under the eaves.
After Amelia Fernández de Undurraga passed away in 1932, the magic faded. The palace hosted everything from Spanish social clubs to pension offices, until 1976, when the spell was broken-the building was demolished. Today, all that remains are a portrait of the Virgin Mary and two lanterns, keeping the palace’s memory alive over at Viña Undurraga. So, for now, if you really want to see the palace, you’ll have to visit a vineyard. At least the wine will help your imagination!
