Abstract

The earthquake and tsunami of May 24, 1751 devastated La Concepción, located in present-day Penco. This event led the authorities to transfer the city to its current location. To what extent was geography decisive in the selection of the new site? How has it been transformed subsequently? This article aims at answering these questions and reveals the geographical factors involved in the location, position, and shape of the new plan. The territory’s transformative process that will lead to the current landscape is explained, suggesting a comparative analysis of the historical cartography as a working method, looking at natural resources and risks, property structure, climate, and other geographical factors that influenced the selection of the site.