Villa Alegre, Chile


Villa Alegre a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With an area of, Villa Alegre is the smallest commune in the Maule Region. It sits above sea level.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Villa Alegre spans an area of and has 14,725 inhabitants. Of these, 5,456 lived in urban areas and 9,269 in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 2.8%.

History

Villa Alegre was founded on May 6, 1891, and was one of the first places in Chile to have an electric tramway service, in 1915.

Economy

Villa Alegre and its neighbor San Javier are traditional winemaking areas. The Loncomilla valley, which includes these two communes, is endowed with some of the better vineyards and quality wines of the bountiful Maule Valley, in the Chile's central valley viticultural regions or appellations.

Government

As a commune, Villa Alegre is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Arturo Palma Vilches, and the councilors are:
  • María Ignacia González Torres
  • Héctor Del Tránsito Manosalva González
  • Manuel Muñoz Bastias
  • Justo Rebolledo Araya
  • Eduardo Bustamante Maureira
  • Edgardo Bravo Rebolledo
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Villa Alegre is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Jorge Tarud and Romilio Gutiérrez as part of the 39th electoral district, together with Linares, Colbún, San Javier and Yerbas Buenas. The commune is represented in the Senate by Hernán Larraín and Ximena Rincón González as part of the 11th senatorial constituency.

Famous People born in Villa Alegre