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El Ciudadano

Original article: Libro rescata la memoria del barrio ferroviario Villa Covico de Coquimbo a través de la voz de sus habitantes

The community and students participated in the launch of the book «Tales of Neighborhoods: Villa Covico,» a publication developed by academics from the Department of Architecture at the University of La Serena.

Through testimonies, photographic records, and territorial research, the work explores the history and evolution of this traditional railway neighborhood in the city of Coquimbo, which was established during the 20th century by employees of the State Railways.

The publication was created by professors Carolina Novo Boza, Alejandro Orellana McBride, and Javier Fredes González, along with U. de La Serena architect Camila Valencia Altamirano. It also includes illustrations by artist and teacher Vincent Gatica.

The university explained that the project originated from a study conducted in the Coquimbo Region, aimed at highlighting neighborhoods that have historically been excluded from official records and heritage conservation policies.

Academic and Dr. (c) Carolina Novo emphasized the challenge of constructing heritage knowledge from the experiences of those who inhabit the area.

«This book is the result of a collaborative effort between academia and the community. We did not talk about Covico; we spoke with Covico, and that makes a significant difference in how heritage knowledge is constructed from a university perspective,» noted the researcher.

«In the Coquimbo Region, neighborhoods like this are fundamental to the urban and labor history of the north, yet they have been left out of official records. This book suggests that oral memory is also a legitimate way to build heritage,» added the educator.

Student and Community Participation

A distinctive feature of the launch was the presence of 3rd and 4th-year students from the Design and Architecture program at Saint Mary School Sindempart, who participated in the event as part of the formative experiences led by Vincent Gatica, their teacher.

This initiative allowed students to connect with an editorial process developed at the University, linking classroom work with cultural production and the territorial history of the region.

Additionally, the launch was attended by families interviewed for the book, whose experiences and memories form a central part of the publication.

Their stories about childhood near the station, community celebrations, generational trades in railroading, and the cooperative organization that birthed the neighborhood provide a significant record of local memory in Coquimbo.

In this context, Alfonso Rojas, president of the «Sons of Covico» group, highlighted the value of the community in the research and book-making process: «This was not a quick or superficial endeavor; there was real work behind it, where families were listened to and our history was gathered. This is valuable because it allows new generations to understand what Covico meant to many people.»

The project was funded by the National Fund for Cultural Development and the Arts (Fondart), 2024 call from the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage, while its printing was funded by project ULS 21992 at the ULS Scientific and Technological Pole.

This work represents the second volume in the «Tales of Neighborhoods» series, which in its first edition addressed the Rengifo Housing Complex in La Serena.

The publication also benefited from the collaboration of Rodán Castro in conducting interviews, Verónica Molina in editorial design, and the teams from Emergente Arquitectura, Séptimo Rastro, and Dela.photo in architectural, audiovisual, and photographic documentation.

El Ciudadano

La entrada New Book Preserves the Memory of Villa Covico Railway Neighborhood in Coquimbo Through Residents’ Voices se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.