Tucumán Government Palace

Tucumán Province, the most populous and economically important in the Argentine Northwest, 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, the Governor, Luis F. Nougués, organized the construction of a government palace to replace the colonial cabildo then still serving as his offices.

[1] The governor commissioned local architect Domingo Selva, whose design was an eclectic form of French baroque, with an Italianate influence.

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.

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).