The Tucumán Government Palace is the executive office building of the Government of the

Province of Tucumán A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outs ...

Overview

Tucumán Province, the most populous and economically important in the

Argentine Northwest The Argentine Northwest (''Noroeste Argentino'') is a geographic and historical region of Argentina composed of the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán. Geography The Argentine Northwest comprises ...

, lacked architecturally significant government offices, early in the 20th Century. As both a remedy to that absence and a means to encourage urban renewal and development in the provincial capital city of

San Miguel de Tucumán San Miguel de Tucumán (; usually called simply Tucumán) is the capital and largest city of Tucumán Province, located in northern Argentina from Buenos Aires. It is the fifth-largest city of Argentina after Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Argentina, ...

, the Governor, Luis F. Nougués, organized the construction of a government palace to replace the colonial cabildo then still serving as his offices. The cabildo housed not only the governor's offices; but also a courtroom and small jail.Tucumán Turismo: Casa de Gobierno
/ref> The governor commissioned local architect Domingo Selva, whose design was an eclectic form of

French baroque French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

, with an

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

influence. Following the cabildo's demolition two adjoining properties were purchased, and construction on the palace began in 1908. Completed in 1910, the new government palace was inaugurated on July 9, 1912, in a ceremony led by the Governor, Dr. José Frías Silva, and the President of Argentina,

Roque Sáenz Peña Roque José Antonio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Sáenz Peña Lahitte (19 March 1851 – 9 August 1914) was an Argentine politician and lawyer who served as President of Argentina from 12 October 1910 to his death in office on 9 August 1914. ...

Facing

Plaza Independencia Plaza Independencia () is the most important city square in Montevideo, Uruguay, laid out in the 19th century in the area occupied by the Citadel of Montevideo. In its center is a monument to General José Gervasio Artigas, and below it, his m ...

, the city's central square, the building remains one of the most architecturally significant in the region. Its grandiose exterior is matched by an ornate interior, which is probably best known for its ''salón blanco'' ("white room"). Used historically for official ceremonies, the white room features spiderweb chandeliers and ceiling panels decorated by the Spanish artist, Julio Vila y Prades (recently restored by local sculptor Santos Legname). The remains of one of Tucumán's most distinguished sons,

Juan Bautista Alberdi Juan Bautista Alberdi (August 29, 1810 – June 19, 1884) was an Argentine political theorist and diplomat. Although he lived most of his life in exile in Montevideo, Uruguay and in Chile, he influenced the content of the Constitution of Arg ...

, were transferred from their

La Recoleta Cemetery La Recoleta Cemetery ( es, Cementerio de la Recoleta) is a cemetery located in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, ...

resting place (in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

) and returned to the province on August 28, 1991, when they were placed in a crypt built for the occasion in the government palace's basement. The palace is open for guided tours.Turismo en Tucumán
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucuman Government Palace Governmente Palace 1912 establishments in Argentina Government buildings completed in 1912 Government buildings in Argentina Palaces in Argentina Tourist attractions in Tucumán Province Baroque Revival architecture Buildings and structures in Tucumán Province