The building was severely damaged during the 1973 coup d'état when Pinochet's troops shelled and bombed the building until ex-President Allende surrendered and committed suicide. The damage has since been repaired and La Moneda again serves as presidential offices.
If you time your visit, you might see the changing of the guard on alternate days when hundreds of smartly uniformed soldiers march in front of the palace.
From the plaza, stroll down Moneda to the Y-shaped intersection of La Bolsa and Nueva York to see the action at the Bolsa de Comercio.
