Palacio Taranco

The palace was erected on the site of Montevideo's first theatre in the historical centre of the city which had been built in 1793.

In 1943 the Uruguayan state purchased the residence and part of the furniture and gained access to its works of art, but it wasn't until 1972 that it became a museum, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975.

The Museum of Decorative Arts contains various paintings, sculptures, textiles, ornaments, and European furniture.

On the ground floor and first floor of the building can be found some of the furniture of Louis XV and Louis XVI finely inlaid; the works of Ribera (1591–1652), Teniers (1610–1690), Mierevelt (1567–1641), Van der Helst (1613–1670), Appiani (1754–1817), Pradilla (1846–1921), Zuloaga (1870–1945), and Sorolla (1863–1923); Benlliure sculptures (1862–1947), Bouchard (1875–1969), Landowski (1875–1961), Vermare (1899–1919) etc.

The museum also has collections of various textiles, from Persian curtains to Flemish tapestries, and has various ointments, oils, and perfumes.