Perquenco
Country: Chile
Region: South America
Period: 1860-1862
Location: -38.416667°N, -72.383333°E
Description
Perquenco was a settlement in the Araucanía and Patagonia region, part of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia. This kingdom, founded by the French adventurer Orélie-Antoine de Tounens in the 19th century, was never officially recognized by any other nation. Perquenco, located in southern Chile, became a symbolic seat of the kingdom. It was a region of resistance to the Chilean and Argentine states' expansion into indigenous Mapuche territories.
Modern Remains
Today, Perquenco is a small town in the La Araucanía Region of Chile. While the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia is largely a historical curiosity, remnants of the region’s indigenous Mapuche culture persist. The modern town of Perquenco still reflects the blend of Mapuche and Chilean heritage. There are few physical remnants from the kingdom itself, but local oral traditions and historical records keep the memory of the short-lived kingdom and its resistance to colonization alive.