Churches of Chiloé

• Management systems/ management plan (Insufficient delimitation of boundaries; Insufficient legal definition of buffer zones and visually sensitive areas of each component)
• Commercial development (Construction of a shopping mall in the vicinity of the Castro Church)
• Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure
• Legal framework
• Management activities

On 5 February 2018, the State Party submitted information concerning the definition of the buffer zones (as ‘Typical Zones’) and the extension of the shopping mall in Castro. An ICOMOS Technical Review was transmitted to the State Party on 19 July 2018. Subsequently, the State Party submitted on 17 January 2019 a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/971/documents/, and addresses the following issues:

• 10 of the 16 churches now have formally-declared ‘Typical Zones’ that serve as their buffer zones. Four additional ‘Typical Zones’ are in the process of legal approval (for the churches of Achao, Aldachildo, Dalcahue and Rilán). The definition of the two remaining zones, for the churches of Castro and Caguach, is in process. Once ‘Typical Zones’ have been declared, the National Monument Council (CMN) prepares specific guidelines for interventions in each;
• Regarding the protection of the surroundings of the Castro Church, the ‘Typical Zone’ agreed with local stakeholders and the City Council will finally only include the building blocks immediately around the church instead of the Meseta and Palafitos area, as previously proposed by CMN. As compensation, the Municipality has temporarily suspended building permits on the entire plateau for constructions that exceed 16 metres in height, while awaiting the revision and harmonization of relevant legal and planning documents;
• Traffic movement around the Castro Church has been monitored and constant for the past two years, while the Calle San Martin access to the shopping mall remains closed except for heavy traffic related to construction works at the mall. The project to construct an underground parking garage in front of the church has been cancelled. 40% of the by-pass in Castro has been completed, but further implementation is delayed due to numerous archaeological remains found in the area;
• At the end of 2017, works to construct cinemas were executed at the shopping mall in Castro. The State Party reports that works were already included in the original legally-binding building permit granted, therefore its demolition, as recommended by the ICOMOS Technical Review, could not proceed. Additionally, no intervention from municipal or national authorities is possible, except with regard to a 100 sqm area that did not have authorization. Once this issue is resolved, discussions with the owner of the mall regarding the implementation of mitigation measures will be resumed;
• There are ongoing efforts in reviewing Communal Regulation Plans, which will benefit five components of the property located in urban areas;
• Other issues are also reported, such as: the creation of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, and its National Service for Cultural Heritage; the launching of the Social Investment Programme for World Heritage sites of which the churches of Chiloé are beneficiary; the first inventory of churches of the whole Chiloé Archipelago; the Plan for the Coastal Borders of Chiloé, which proposes the creation of recreational walkways and areas; and, finally, information on maintenance works and dissemination activities.

On 30 April 2019, the State Party submitted additional information concerning the future revision of the Municipal Zoning Plan of Castro (introducing height limitations of 14 meters immediately around the church, 18 meters in an intermediate zone and 21 meters in the outer –northern- zone), initial proceedings in the identification of the buffer zones of Caguach and conservation activities in the church of San Juan, among others.

The progress made in the definition of the buffer zones (as ‘Typical Zones’) and the establishment of individual guidelines for interventions are welcomed, as well as the submission of a Minor Boundary Modification that will be examined by the World Heritage Committee under item 8 of the agenda (Document WHC/19/43.COM/8B). The State Party should be requested to proceed urgently with the implementation of recommendations that the Committee may make in this regard, the definition of the buffer zones for the remaining six churches, as well as with the preparation of guidelines for intervention.

The State Party does not provide substantive information on progress in the preparation of an Integrated Management Plan, but instead concentrates on the declaration of the ‘Typical Zones’, the preparation of intervention guidelines, and the implementation of a new institutional framework following the creation of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage. It should be emphasized that an integrated legal and institutional framework will still be required for the appropriate management of the property as a whole.

The situation of the Castro Church remains of extreme concern. ICOMOS’ Technical Review had considered the buffer zone proposal, that included the Meseta of Castro and the Palafitos area, adequate. It is now noted, with regret, that the final proposal for the ‘Typical Zone’ differs considerably from that proposal and would be limited to the blocks immediately around the church. The Meseta would therefore not be protected under national legislation but only at the municipal level. The adequate protection of the wider environment of the church and the sea edge remains of great concern, and requires considerably more measures than the adopted temporary building height limitation of 16 metres. The most recent proposal to establish zones with varied maximum construction heights at the Meseta needs to be analysed by the Advisory Bodies in conjunction with the buffer zone that eventually will be proposed by the State Party. The municipal legislation, particularly the Local Urban Plan, would subsequently have to include very strong regulations for protection and conservation of this area.

It is noted that the San Martin entrance to the shopping mall remains closed, and that no increase in traffic flows around the church is recorded. It is highly welcomed that the underground parking garage has been cancelled. The State Party should be asked to continue traffic monitoring activities, keep the San Martin entrance closed, and continue the construction of the by-pass. 

Regarding the mall in Castro, ICOMOS’ Technical Review had reaffirmed the conclusions of the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission and previous decisions of the World Heritage Committee that the landscape of the Meseta of Castro was greatly damaged and that the visual dominance of the church had been lost due to this construction. The extension of the mall aggravated this critical situation, and thus ICOMOS recommended its demolition. Regretfully, the State Party reports that since a legally-binding permit for the extension was issued, it is not in a position to enforce modification or demolition.

Regarding the mitigation measures requested by the Committee (Decision 39 COM 7B.89), it is noted with great concern that the State Party has not implemented any of the Committee’s recommendations, has not reached a satisfactory solution to minimize and mitigate the impact of the mall, and that the construction of the mall and its extension was completed. Therefore, it may be considered that the absence of appropriate measures in this regard constitute a threat and a potential danger to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

In conclusion, the buffer zone proposal for the Castro Church is considered to be too limited, and the level of effective protection of the Meseta and Palafitos areas at the municipal level is highly insufficient and will have to be demonstrated, together with the effectiveness of the height limitations, in the harmonization process of all the planning instruments: the Intervention Rules, according to the Typical Zone Regulation document (National Monuments Law), the Local Urban Plan, and Detailed Plans or Section Plans (General Law on Urban Development and Constructions). It should be recommended to involve the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in this process.