Penco (Chile)

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Penco (Mapudungun: "Peumo water") is a Chilean city and commune in Concepción Province, Biobío Region on the Bay of Concepción. Founded on February 12, 1550 by Pedro de Valdivia, it is the third oldest city in the country after Santiago founded first in 1541 and La Serena second in 1544.

In previous centuries, in the current location of Penco, was the first location where the city of Concepción was established, which is now the capital of the Bío-Bío Region. It was destroyed by Lautaro in 1554, and rebuilt and destroyed again by Lautaro in 1555. It was reestablished in 1557 during the governorship of García Hurtado de Mendoza when he landed there and built a fort on the Alto de Pinto. The city was reestablished January 6, 1558, by capitán Jerónimo de Villegas. It became the headquarters of the military forces engaged against the Mapuche in Araucania over the next two centuries growing to a population of 10,000 despite suffering several attacks by the Mapuche.

Due to earthquakes and tsunamis, which razed the city in 1570, 1657, 1687, 1730 and another on May 25, 1751, the authorities decided to move the city to its current location to the Valle de la Mocha, alongside the Bío-Bío River and prohibited the occupation of the old location, which remained unpopulated until March 29, 1842, when the present city of Penco was founded.

To an outsider, there may be confusion between the demonyms of the inhabitants of Concepción and Penco. Due to the previous location of Concepción, inhabitants of that city are called penquistas while inhabitants of Penco are known as pencones.