Morandé 80, Door of the presidential palace in Santiago, Chile
Morandé 80 is a door on the east facade of the Palacio de La Moneda, on Morandé street in Santiago. The current door is a reproduction of the original, weighing about 300 kg, with bronze fittings and a wrought-iron peephole. It opens onto a small hall displaying medals bearing the figures of Chile's presidents, and it is a frequent entry point for visitors touring the palace.
Pedro Montt had the door built in 1906 so the president could enter La Moneda without formal honours. Presidents used it for the residence until 1958. After the 1973 coup, Salvador Allende's body was removed through it, and Augusto Pinochet later had it sealed. Ricardo Lagos reopened it on 11 September 2003.
The door's address became a symbol for Salvador Allende's supporters and the Unidad Popular after 1973, when the doorway was sealed. Since its reopening in 2003 it has been opened only on special occasions. A memorial unveiled on 9 September 2023 in front of it lists 37 people who were inside the palace during the attack and were later detained, executed or disappeared.
The door opens only on special occasions, so visitors usually see it from Calle Morandé on the east facade of La Moneda. It leads into a small hall displaying medals bearing the figures of Chile's presidents, and tourists often enter the palace this way.
The current door is a reproduction weighing about 300 kg, designed by the Dirección Nacional de Arquitectura and made by two artisan carpenters, Francisco Alvarado López and Manuel Loyola, in a small workshop in Cerrillos over roughly two months. It has bronze fittings and a wrought-iron peephole.
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