Santa Lucía Hill, formerly known as Huelén Hill, is an urban park in the center of Santiago de Chile. It is bordered on the south by Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, where the Santa Lucía subway station is located, on the west by Santa Lucía Street, on the north by Merced Street and on the east by Victoria Subercaseaux Street. It has an altitude of 629 meters above sea level, a height of 68 meters and an area of 65,300 m².

The name Huelén, attributed by the indigenous peoples, could mean "pain" or "misfortune". However, its exact origin is uncertain and is still a matter of debate. Some believe that the name comes from "welen", which derives from "wele", and may mean "misfortune" or "bad omen". There is a possibility that it is not a Mapuche word, but from another local language. The conquistador Pedro de Valdivia renamed the hill Santa Lucia on December 13, 1540, in honor of the saint, after crossing the Mapocho River on that date.

Archaeological remains suggest human presence in the area since prehistoric times. Recent studies propose that Santiago was founded on an Inca administrative center, the southernmost of their empire. According to research by archaeologist Rubén Stehberg and historian Gonzalo Sotomayor, this settlement would have had an infrastructure of roads and hydro-agricultural and mining activities, which Pedro de Valdivia took advantage of to found the city.

Pedro de Valdivia officially founded Santiago on Santa Lucía hill on February 12, 1541. During the colonial period, the first mills and vineyards were established on the western slope of the hill. Towards the end of the 18th century, the area was subdivided into quintas that would give rise to the current streets of the Lastarria neighborhood.

During the Reconquest, the hill was fortified with two batteries: the Marcó (or González Castle) and the Santa Lucía (or Hidalgo Castle), which served as military defenses. Some fortified structures still survive, although modified over time.

Between 1872 and 1874, under the direction of Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, the hill was transformed into an urban park with gardens, fountains, viewpoints and the Hidalgo Castle, following a French landscape style. This change turned the hill into an attractive promenade for the inhabitants of Santiago.

In the 20th century, significant improvements were made, such as the monumental access through the Alameda and the creation of a garden on the western side. In 1959, a Japanese Garden was inaugurated on the eastern side of the hill. In the 21st century, the Hidalgo Castle was restored and other improvements were made to preserve the site's heritage.

Since 1825, a cannon shot is fired at noon from the top of the hill. Although it has been suspended on occasions, it continues to be an emblematic tradition of Santiago.