Information about Pica

The commune has an area of 8810 km2 and a population of 6178 people distributed mainly in the towns of Pica, Matilla, Lirima, and mining Cancosa Collahuasi and Quebrada Blanca. Geographically characterized by different environments of the pampas, highlands and mountains, ranging from 1,250 to 5,000 m; a pleasant sun and clear skies for most of the year in the area of the pampas to the rigors of winter in the highland area the plateau and mountain range. Inhabited since pre-Columbian times by different cultures.



The Commune of pica is known abroad mainly for its citrus crops, the most named LEMON PICA, as well as in the past were its vineyards, which produced some of the best port wines throughout the North of Chile. Large areas of crops were seen in the towns of Pica, Matilla, Quisma Valley and vicinity, and these lemon, orange, pomelo, mango, guava and Andean villages of Lirima Cancosa and quinoa. But not only live the Commune agriculture, tourism breaks through strongly as one of the main economic activities along with agriculture, trade and mining.

History of Pica

Picas memory is lost in the depth of American prehistory, transmitting from an unknown time and poetic original name "pica," which means "Flower in the Sand" Appointment of a coming age in which experience, names, nature and gods were blended into a harmonious whole and in flux. It has an old legend of this region shortly before the Spanish entry to the land of the Inca was the Oasis one of her favorite places as a place of rest and recreation. He says he regularly Son of the Sun, with his entourage came to this Island Imperial plant Tarapaca Desert, fleeing the winter steppe, to enjoy their eternal summer, its medicinal hot springs and delicious fruits.



Here the high Andes, for his morning ritual, compared to the first steep eastern celajes announcing the day uncontrollable expected and received his father Sol to worship and celebrate. And that your God with all gala showed him his generosity, his creative power and devastating fury in the magnitude of this wild desert and the amazing fertility of the land Piquenas. Of the four cardinal points converging to the caravan oasis of flames, chuck chasqui and armies converged cordilleranos up fetching and carrying the produce of land and sea along with news of the expansion of the Empire of the Sun to beyond the Andean stronghold of the East, beyond the gentle valleys of the North and measured far beyond the sacred city of Cuzco converged fetching and carrying news of the transcendent destiny that was serving the man in this virgin America, wake up again at Tiahuanaco.



It was in 1533, before August, the Indians were approached by Pica North sands a curious caravan, the integrated load some flames and a few Indians carried on a litter such a man of strange appearance: light-skinned, bearded rare robe and no ears. Distant chord of a primitive tradition echoed in the minds of those farmers Oasis was Gonzalo Calvo de Barrientos "He cut off the ears" had suffered this mutilation in order of Francisco Pizarro as punishment for a robbery in Jauja Atahualpa ashamed to ask, then captive recommended to send it somewhere in the Inca where Christians have not. Calvo de Barrientos thus determine his own imprisonment in Chile, traveling the desert road to Aconcagua, carrying on a litter and accompanied by an Indian which had been an amateur. This little band has done in Pica pascana for a few days and answer once and Armed with estimates, has pitched tents to continue their silence and perhaps sad journey.



Then again by sand has disappeared slowly toward the South. Barrientos was the first European to Piquenas ground floor and crossed the deserts of Tarapaca, according to some historians, the discovery and occupation Pica official, albeit temporary, it was observed early in the year 1536 was made by the host of Ruy Diaz, captain of Adelantado Don Diego de Almagro, during his expedition to the discovery of Chile. The oral tradition is more accurate Oasis and even fixed date to March 28 of that year. Any comparison made to the itinerary of his trip around the date set by tradition. Indeed, when Don Diego part of Cuzco in the direction of Chile, accompanied by 550 Spanish and thousands of Indian allies, on June 3, 1535, had left Ruy Diaz instructed to prepare three ships loaded with clothes, food, weapons and iron for fitting and sea reached the height of Copiapo. The Captain had to carry the child of the advance, even Infante Don Diego del Mozo. Almagro chose the path of the mountains, across the Andean highlands, Ruy Diaz went by sea after seven months starting from Callao in January 1536, ill-prepared his boat capsize in Chincha, where the captain, by land, shipping distance to Arica , Arica, accompanied by Almagros son, took the road from the plains or deserts, skirting the Andean foothills, passing through the Oasis of Pica. His trip coincided with the start of the Inca Manco Yupanqui uprising against Castilian rule originating the famous indigenous insurrection that would compromise the entire territory of the Inca Empire. On passing through the region of Tarapaca, the Spanish army was subjected to continued attacks by the rebels so he lost 12 men during the voyage to San Pedro de Atacama.