Understand
Concepción was founded by Pedro de Valdivia in 1550 north of the BÃo BÃo River, at the site which is today known as Penco. At that time it was given the name Concepción del Nuevo Extremo.
More than once the city has been destroyed by earthquakes and tsunamis. One in 1570, another on the 25 May 1751, at which point it was decided to move Concepción further from the sea to its present location in the Mocha Valley.
Today Concepción is the second largest city of the country. The Universidad de Concepción, founded in 1919, and with its main campus in the city became the first private university in Chile. The neighbouring harbour of Talcahuano holds the largest naval base in the country.
The Gran Concepción is the name that receives the whole metropolitan area, which includes Talcahuano, Hualpen, San Pedro de la Paz, Chiguayante, Hualqui and Penco.
