The Statue of Virgin Mary San Cristobal Hill in Santiago Chile

Virgin Mary Statue on San Cristóbal Hill in Santiago, Chile A hill towering almost one thousand feet over Santiago has long been a place of worship. The indigenous people once called it Tupahue. This means “place of god” in the Mapuche language. The Spanish renamed it San Cristóbal in honor of St. Christopher. In 1908, Catholics erected this 46 foot image of the Virgin Mary with outstretched hands. The iconic symbol of the city is officially called the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception of San Cristóbal Hill. Pope John Paul II visited here in 1987.