the fields of San Juan, about 7 miles away
from the town on January 13, 1881; but after the battle, the Chilean soldiers
looted, sacked and set fire to the town of Chorrillos, raped the women and
killed many civilians, including foreigners, children and women. There is a
nameplate inside the Fire Station that remembers the names of the Italian
firemen who were executed by a Chilean fire squad for attempting to put out the
fires and save the civilian population. From republican times, only a select
group of the large old houses have survived, as the majority were destroyed by
Chilean invaders
