Campus Paulino del Barrio

In 1857, Chilean president Manuel Montt founded the Copiapó School of Mines. Shortly after the school was founded, mining engineer and physics professor Paulino del Barrio, was named the director of the Mining College's Executive Board of Directors. His first objective was to train personnel to work in the mining operations of the 19th century.

The Copiapó School of Mines was comprised of top-level academics, many of them coming directly from Europe. The Chilean government's initial idea was to emulate the Paris École nationale supérieure des mines in Copiapó; in the end however, the government decided to hire mainly German academics from the University of Freiberg. This decision rested mostly on the idea that the University of Freiberg is the oldest mining specialized institution in Europe and considered by many at that time as the most prestigious mining university due to its level of demand and preparation.

While Paulino del Barrio passed away in 1857 shortly after developing and implementing the mining school's programs, his colleagues, students, and family helped carry on his legacy and the training programs he developed in Copiapó. Many of the principles and program objectives were soon spread to neighboring provinces and countries, such as Argentina and Bolivia.

Paulinodelbarrio

Paulino del Barrio