Visit to La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s second home - Valparaiso, part one

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PABLO NERUDA’S ROLE IN SOCIALISM

Today I visited Pablo Neruda’s second home, called La Sebastiana. I discovered far more about Neruda’s political life and I take back my previous comment that he was a dilettante. Dilettantes dabble in different hobbies but often don’t finish what they start but Neruda took on some very important political roles. The house itself really reflects this. However, for me it isn’t as elaborate as his house La Chascona in Santiago.

In 1936 he lived in Madrid and Barcelona and during the Spanish Civil war he rescued Spaniards from the regime by bringing them to Chile using the Winnipeg boat. There is a portrait of Lord Cochrane, a British seafarer who worked at rescuing Spaniards from Chile. To show Neruda’s gratitude to the sailor, he put Cochrane’s picture in his dining room. In 1948? In1949 he grew a beard, moustache and disguised himself . He then went into exile in Argentina and continued his political work there. Much later between 1971 and 1972?? he worked as a member of the Communist party and under Allende’s government (the socialist government which was ended by military coup in 1973 by Pinochet) he was named Ambassador of Chile, and Ambassador of France ? to UNESCO. He was also Consul to Asia.

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