Monumento al soldado desconocido, Arica, War memorial at Morro de Arica, Chile
The Monumento al Soldado Desconocido is a stone monolith at the summit of Morro de Arica featuring a carved soldier figure holding a torch on its front. The structure rises above the coastal landscape as a prominent visual anchor on the hilltop.
The monolith was carved by the Stonemasonry Workshop of the University of Tarapacá and inaugurated in 1975, commemorating those who died in combat at the Battle of Arica on June 7, 1880, during the War of the Pacific between the armies of Chile and Peru. At its feet lie the remains of an unidentified soldier who fell at the Battle of Pisagua on November 2, 1879.
The monolith was carved by the Stonemasonry Workshop of the University of Tarapacá, not the University of Chile. The anonymous soldier it depicts stands for the troops who fell at the Battle of Arica on 7 June 1880, fought between the armies of Chile and Peru during the War of the Pacific.
Access is via the Morro de Arica, so expect hillside pathways and wear suitable footwear for the climb. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon when light conditions are favorable.
At the foot of the monolith lie the remains of an unidentified soldier who fell at the Battle of Pisagua on 2 November 1879, not at Arica. The stone was cut by the Stonemasonry Workshop of the University of Tarapacá, and the monument was inaugurated in 1975.
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