The Correo Central de Santiago is one of the buildings that houses the central offices of Correos de Chile. It is located on the north side of the Plaza de Armas of Santiago, on the corner of Cathedral and Puente streets, next to the Palace of the Royal Court of Santiago, headquarters of the National Historical Museum "Museo Histérico Nacional (Chile)"). The Palace of the Governors had previously operated on the building's land, which until 1846 had been the residence of the presidents before moving to the La Moneda Palace.

The first building of the Central Post Office was built in 1882 by the architect Ricardo Brown on the foundations of the old Palace of the Governors, which was damaged by a fire in 1881.[1]​[2]​ In 1908, the architect Ramón Feherman transformed the façade, adopting a French-influenced style. In 1976 it was declared a Historical Monument,[1]​ and since 1987 it housed the Postal and Telegraph Museum on its second floor, moving to the ground floor in 2004.[2]​.

Governors Palace

The location of the building is one of the most prominent in the city, since since the arrival of the Spanish to the region this site was of significant importance for the conquerors, who after deciding the place where the Plaza would be located, arranged the most relevant buildings and homes for the new city around it.[3]​.

The property on which this construction is located was initially granted to the conqueror Pedro de Valdivia, however, after his death in 1553, the site was divided into three, placing the Governor's Palace on it, where the Central Post Office is currently located; the Real Audiencia and Cajas Reales, where the National Historical Museum "National Historical Museum (Chile)" is located); and the Colonial Town Hall, land that is currently the headquarters of the Illustrious Municipality of Santiago.[3]​.

The old Palace of the Governor or of the Governors was built at the beginning of the century, under the government of Andrés de Ustáriz, who entrusted the work to the then mayor of Santiago, Antonio Matías Quint de Valdovinos. The work was completed in 1715 and was the governor's residence until the establishment of the Republic in 1820, at which time the building began to function as the Presidential Palace. In 1846, the government of President Manuel Bulnes decided to move the residence of the leaders to the Palacio de La Moneda, a place that remained as a residence until 1958.[3]​.