- Year of construction: 1897
- Address: Carretera Sucre Potosi, Bolivia
- Phone: +591 4 6435240
- Visit time: daily 08: 00-17: 30
The ancient part of the city of Sucre is not in vain included in the list of the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. This is due to the fact that there is a large number of ancient buildings, among which - and the palace of La Glorieta. It was built in 1897 and is an excellent example of how several architectural styles can harmoniously combine in one building.
The history of the palace of La Glorieta
The first owner of the palace of La Glorieta, or Palacio da La Glorieta, was Don Francisco Argandon and his wife Clotilde. The noble don belonged to silver mines in Potosi , a bank, a large number of antiques and jewelry. Don Francisco Argandon served as Ambassador of Bolivia in Russia and France. Together with his wife, they founded several shelters for children, donated money for the construction of social facilities. Pope Leo XIII, impressed by the size of the donations of the Argandon family, granted them the titles of a prince and a princess. Despite the fact that Bolivia never had a monarchy, Prince Argandon decided to build a real castle for his family, which he named La Glorieta.
The only aristocratic family of Bolivia had no heirs, so the story of their kind ended in 1933. After the death of both spouses in the building of the castle of La Glorieta there was a military academy. In 1970, the palace was awarded the title of National Castle. From 1987 to the present day, La Glorieta is a state museum open to visitors.
Architectural style and features of La Glorieta
The main feature of the castle of La Glorieta lies in the harmonious combination of the following architectural styles:
- Florentine;
- Russian;
- Gothic;
- Chinese.
The main part of La Glorieta is executed in the Florentine style, other styles are reflected in the towers of the castle. The interior of the palace is decorated with marble, stucco, stained glass and mosaic. La Glorieta is an excellent example of eclecticism, where the mixture of styles in a single structure looks very organic. Against the backdrop of the remaining attractions of Bolivia, this can be safely called the advantage of La Glorieta.
The castle has 40 rooms. In each of them the decoration of the corresponding epoch has been preserved. Here you can see a large table, which was previously dined by the prince and princess Argandon, and a large fireplace that warmed them on cold evenings.
The territory of the castle La Glorieta is decorated in the form of a garden in which sculptures and fountains are erected.
La Glorieta Castle is a quaint place surrounded by lush vegetation. This is a real castle of the princess, which will remind you of a wonderful children's fairy tale.
How to get to La Glorieta?
La Glorieta Castle is about 5.5 km from the center of Sucre. Next to it is the military academy (Liceo Militar). Therefore, on the way to the castle you will have to go through the checkpoint. The castle can be reached on foot, along the way having studied its surroundings. You can also take bus number 4, departing from the center of Sucre , or take a taxi.
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