This way of getting around is strongly connected to the city’s industrial history. In fact, the ascensor website calls them Patrimonio industrial vivo, meaning “Living industrial heritage.” On December 1, 1883, the very first ascensor went into operation. This new transportation method was meant to help those who lived in the hills to descend to the city center for work and return home without having to climb hundreds of stairs each day. The city would eventually build 30 ascensores in total, 16 of which still exist today and are considered a part of Chile’s National Historic Monuments. In 2003, as part of the Historic Quarter of the Seaport of Valparaíso, the ascensores were also added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. An official restoration and modernization of nine of them began in 2016.
Sources:
https://ascensoresvalparaiso.org/
https://www.thisischile.cl/ascensores-de-valparaiso/
