LA SERENA

capital of Coquimbo region, northern Chile, lying on a marine terrace overlooking Baha (bay) de Coquimbo, just south of the Ro Elqui and east of Coquimbo city. Founded c. 1543 on the river's northern bank, it was named after the Spanish birthplace of the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia. Razed by Diaguita Indians in 1549 and rebuilt on the present site the following year, La Serena received city status in 1552. It has survived pirate raids and earthquake damage. The seat of an archbishopric, the city has a cathedral, many churches, and several convents. It is the centre of an agricultural and dairy region and is also a popular tourist resort. Direct rail, bus, and air connections exist to Santiago. The nearby town of Vicua, 30 mi (50 km) east, was the birthplace of the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945. Pop. (1982 prelim.) 87,456.