Animita de Romualdito, Religious shrine near Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
Animita de Romualdito is a shrine on an old wall on San Borja Street, almost at the corner of Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, beside Estación Central in Santiago. The wall, darkened by the smoke of constantly burning candles, holds small house-shaped shrines and plaques thanking Romualdito for miracles. Plaques cover nearly the whole surface.
The shrine dates to around 1935, when a truck struck four cart drivers at this corner, according to a La Nación report of 21 November 1947. A PDI cold-case group later identified the victim as Romualdo Ivani Zambelli, a 42-year-old single mechanic of Italian descent from San Bernardo, robbed and stabbed in the heart at Alameda and San Borja at 20:40 on Tuesday 8 August 1933.
Each plaque on the wall records a favour credited to Romualdito, and the names carved on them vary widely, from Remialdito to Rumualdito, because devotees disagree about who he was. The shrine draws followers from Chilean provinces and abroad, many arriving by train at the station next door.
The shrine occupies the wall at San Borja Street, almost at the corner of Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, beside Estación Central. It is reached on foot from the station exits; the wall is outdoors and visible from the sidewalk. Candles burn permanently, so the surface stays smoke-darkened.
The wall survived the remodeling and reconstruction of the Estación Central surroundings; it was not removed. Its surface is darkened by the smoke of candles kept permanently lit, and plaques cover practically the whole wall.
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