In this study, we present an analysis of disaster in narrative fiction, poetry and chronicles of/about Valparaiso between the 19th and the 21st century. For this purpose, we analyze the impact of three catastrophes in the configuration of the urban imaginary of the city: the bombing of 1866, the earthquake of 1906, and the fires. By using theoretical contributions derived from History, Urbanism, Architecture, Anthropology, Philosophy and Literary Theory, we demonstrate that recurring catastrophes have shaped the collective identity of the city-port of Valparaiso, from pre-colonial period to the present.