La Moneda faces the Plaza de la Constitucion. Palacio de la Moneda is the presidential palace and was known worldwide for the military coup in 1973 that brought the former dictator, Pinochet, to power and death of the President Salvador Allende.
Towards the end of the 18th century, authorities in Madrid commissioned the building and set Italian architect Joaquín Toesca the task of designing the colonial money-making site. Completed in 1805, the building's purpose changed radically in 1846 when then President Manuel Bulnes moved into the property with his family.