Palacio de Miraflores
Encyclopedia
The Palacio de Miraflores (Spanish
for "Miraflores Palace") is the official workplace of the President of Venezuela. It is located on Urdaneta Avenue, Libertador Municipality in Caracas
.
It was started on 27 April 1884 under the direction of Giuseppe Orsi and was intended as the family residence of Joaquin Crespo
. Also participated: painter Julián Oñate, Juan Bautista Sales and his team of esculptors, decorators, wood cavers, constructors - who erected the European-style Miraflores Palace. To decorate it, furniture was imported from Barcelona, Spain; a bronze rosette was commissioned to the Marrera foundry and 24 bronze lamps were ordered to Requena brothers at San Juan de los Morros, Guárico state
. In 1911, the national administration acquired the property from General Félix Galavis at a cost of five houndred thousand bolívares, and Miraflores Palace became the official presidential residence and office.
After many modifications, the current palace presents fountains encompassed by corridors and halls, such as the Peruvian Sun Hall, decorated with gold donated by the government of Peru; the Joaquín Crespo Hall, with its four gigantic rock-crystal mirrors; Vargas Swamp, which conmemorates the Battle of Boyacá, in Colombia; the Ambassador Hall, where diplomats are received and Ayacucho Hall, in honor of Marshall Antonio José de Sucre and the battle who starred.
Originallly, Miraflores Palace served as presidential residence to Cipriano Castro
, and then Juan Vicente Gómez
, who occupied it until 1913. From 1914 to 1922, it functioned as office to the provisional administration of Victorino Márquez Bustillos. In 1923, Miraflores witnessed the murder of Vice-president Juan Crisóstomo Gómez, brother of President Juan Vicente Gómez. From 1931 to 1935, the palace was inhabited, guarded by the army. During the governments of Eleazar López Contreras
and Isaías Medina Angarita
, the presidential office is modified. In 1945, Rómulo Betancourt
became the first president who identifies the seat of government as Miraflores Palace, replacing the name of Federal Palace.
In the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez
, architect Luis Malaussena introduces radical changes inside the palace, eliminating part of Crespo's era decoration. The successive administrations, made some additions: a Japanese garden, an administrative building, the Ayacucho Hall, the Bicentennial square. In the first period of Rafael Caldera
(1969–1974), starts the construction of the Administrative Building. In February 1979, the palace is declare National Historical Monument. During the government of Luis Herrera Campins
(1979–1984), is concluded the Administrative Building and the Bicentennial square. In the mid 1980s, is extended the area for the Council of Ministers. During the 1990s and 2000s, began a process for the restoration of the original aspects of the palace. Miraflores has sometimes been the residence of the president of Venezuela, although La Casona is the actual official residence. In February 2007, opened the Simón Bolívar Press Room.
, undertook the rescue and recovery of files corresponding to the governments of Cipriano Castro (1899–1908) and Juan Vicente Gómez (1908–1935), located in the basement of Presidential Guard. This action marked the beginning of the processes of recovery and preservation of documentary information generated by the presidency. The documentary fund filed documents from 1899 until 1983. The different document types that comprise the fund, originated a rating system divided in chronological sections.
Ayacucho is mainly used for official events and addresses to the nation. Is conformed by wood walls, with a capacity for 200 to 250 people located in front of a podium. The room is used to receive heads of state and government and for special occasions such as the recognition with the Order of the Liberator
to personalities of politics, culture and society; award only given by presidential decree. In Ayacucho room emphasizes a painting of Simón Bolívar
, located behind the desk where the President announces to the country. The room was named in honor to the battle of Ayacucho
.
won by Simón Bolívar
on 7 August 1819, after which was free most of the Colombian territory. It was built in the early 1960s, becoming a space for meetings and lunch in honor to national and international personalities. The decoration of the room is formed by a parquetry floor and wood ceilings and baseboards.
Boyacá, is also decorated by a painting of muralist Gabriel Bracho, who represents the faces of Bolívar, Francisco de Paula Santander
and José Antonio Anzoátegui
, heroes of Boyacá. The painting was inaugurated by President Rafael Caldera
during his first term in office, on 1 August 1973. The room also has the busts of General Anzoátegui and Andrés Bello
.
. In front of the vestibule are located a charcoal work representing Francisco de Miranda
and a portrait of José María Vargas
by painter Alirio Palacios.
The lobby is formed by a printing of Simón Bolívar of Alirio Palacios, the paintings Los Pescadores (The Fishermen) by Luisa Palacios (1958), La Tempestad (The Tempest) by César Rengifo (1958) and a piece of furniture with a style from the first half of 18th century. Also, there is a miniature of the monument erected in Campo Carabobo, the painting La Patria al Soldado (From Nation to Soldier) by Hugo Daini, and a bust of Bolívar in the entrance of the meeting room. The meeting room is the area for the council of ministers. Is conformed by a long oval table and a portrait of Simón Bolívar by painter José María Espinoza.
, a equestrian portrait of Simón Bolívar (1936) as main painting of the room, and a portrait of the first president of Venezuela: Cristóbal Mendoza
. Both works of Tito Salas
.
of the same name, during the independence of Nueva Granada. It is used as a waiting room for people participating in ceremonies in Joaquín Crespo hall, and for visitors in general.
Presentations of books published under the auspices of the presidency and other government bodies also take place in the Vargas Swamp Room. Notable personalities may also be honoured here.
Also kept in this room are some of the presidential chairs from former administrations: José Antonio Páez
, Antonio Guzmán Blanco
, Joaquín Crespo and Juan Vicente Gómez. The furniture of the room consists of ten pieces, couches and chairs, two consoles and a piano. There is a mosaic floor, and the ceiling is criss-crossed by dark wooden beams.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "Miraflores Palace") is the official workplace of the President of Venezuela. It is located on Urdaneta Avenue, Libertador Municipality in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
.
It was started on 27 April 1884 under the direction of Giuseppe Orsi and was intended as the family residence of Joaquin Crespo
Joaquín Crespo
Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo Torres was a politician, soldier, a member of the Great Liberal Party of Venezuela and President of Venezuela from 1884 to 1886 and again from 1892 to 1898...
. Also participated: painter Julián Oñate, Juan Bautista Sales and his team of esculptors, decorators, wood cavers, constructors - who erected the European-style Miraflores Palace. To decorate it, furniture was imported from Barcelona, Spain; a bronze rosette was commissioned to the Marrera foundry and 24 bronze lamps were ordered to Requena brothers at San Juan de los Morros, Guárico state
San Juan de los Morros
San Juan de los Morros is the capital of the Guarico state and capital of the Juan Germán Roscio municipality, and is a town located in central Venezuela.- Overview :...
. In 1911, the national administration acquired the property from General Félix Galavis at a cost of five houndred thousand bolívares, and Miraflores Palace became the official presidential residence and office.
After many modifications, the current palace presents fountains encompassed by corridors and halls, such as the Peruvian Sun Hall, decorated with gold donated by the government of Peru; the Joaquín Crespo Hall, with its four gigantic rock-crystal mirrors; Vargas Swamp, which conmemorates the Battle of Boyacá, in Colombia; the Ambassador Hall, where diplomats are received and Ayacucho Hall, in honor of Marshall Antonio José de Sucre and the battle who starred.
Cipriano Castro
José Cipriano Castro Ruiz was a high ranking member of the Venezuelan military, politician and the President of Venezuela from 1899 to 1908...
, and then Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón was a military general and de facto ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He was president on three occasions during this time, and ruled as an unelected military strongman for the rest of the era.-Early years:Gómez was a barely literate cattle herder and...
, who occupied it until 1913. From 1914 to 1922, it functioned as office to the provisional administration of Victorino Márquez Bustillos. In 1923, Miraflores witnessed the murder of Vice-president Juan Crisóstomo Gómez, brother of President Juan Vicente Gómez. From 1931 to 1935, the palace was inhabited, guarded by the army. During the governments of Eleazar López Contreras
Eleazar López Contreras
José Eleazar López Contreras was President of Venezuela . López was a general and one of Juan Vicente Gómez's collaborators.Eleazar López was the only child of Col. Manuel Maria López and Catalina Contreras...
and Isaías Medina Angarita
Isaías Medina Angarita
Isaías Medina Angarita was a Venezuelan military and political leader, president of Venezuela from 1941 until 1945....
, the presidential office is modified. In 1945, Rómulo Betancourt
Rómulo Betancourt
Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello , known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was President of Venezuela from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1959 to 1964, as well as leader of Accion Democratica, Venezuela's dominant political party in the 20th century...
became the first president who identifies the seat of government as Miraflores Palace, replacing the name of Federal Palace.
In the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez
Marcos Pérez Jiménez
Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez was a soldier and Presidents of Venezuela from 1952 to 1958.-Career:Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez was born in Michelena, Táchira State. His father, Juan Pérez Bustamante, was a farmer; his mother, Adela Jiménez, a schoolteacher...
, architect Luis Malaussena introduces radical changes inside the palace, eliminating part of Crespo's era decoration. The successive administrations, made some additions: a Japanese garden, an administrative building, the Ayacucho Hall, the Bicentennial square. In the first period of Rafael Caldera
Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez was president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999.Caldera taught sociology and law at various universities before entering politics. He was a founding member of COPEI, Venezuela's Christian Democratic party...
(1969–1974), starts the construction of the Administrative Building. In February 1979, the palace is declare National Historical Monument. During the government of Luis Herrera Campins
Luis Herrera Campins
Luis Antonio Herrera Campins was President of Venezuela from 1979 to 1984. He was elected to one five-year term in 1978. He was a member of the COPEI party.- Early Life and career:...
(1979–1984), is concluded the Administrative Building and the Bicentennial square. In the mid 1980s, is extended the area for the Council of Ministers. During the 1990s and 2000s, began a process for the restoration of the original aspects of the palace. Miraflores has sometimes been the residence of the president of Venezuela, although La Casona is the actual official residence. In February 2007, opened the Simón Bolívar Press Room.
Miraflores Historical Archive
With a volume of documents of nearly 15 million pages, the Miraflores Historical Archive has the mission to preserve the files of Venezuelan presidents. This process began in 1959, when Secretary of Presidency Ramón José VelásquezRamón José Velásquez
Ramón José Velásquez Mujica is a Venezuelan political figure. He served as Acting president of Venezuela between 1993 and 1994. He is known as a historian, journalist, lawyer, politician and entertainer of companies for his knowledge of the "national life".Velásquez was born in Táchira,Venezuela...
, undertook the rescue and recovery of files corresponding to the governments of Cipriano Castro (1899–1908) and Juan Vicente Gómez (1908–1935), located in the basement of Presidential Guard. This action marked the beginning of the processes of recovery and preservation of documentary information generated by the presidency. The documentary fund filed documents from 1899 until 1983. The different document types that comprise the fund, originated a rating system divided in chronological sections.
Ayacucho
Order of the Liberator
The Order of the Liberator is the highest distinction of Venezuela and is appointed for services to the country, outstading merit and benefits made to the community. For Venezuelans the order ranks first from other orders, national and foreign....
to personalities of politics, culture and society; award only given by presidential decree. In Ayacucho room emphasizes a painting of Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
, located behind the desk where the President announces to the country. The room was named in honor to the battle of Ayacucho
Battle of Ayacucho
The Battle of Ayacucho was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. It was the battle that sealed the independence of Peru, as well as the victory that ensured independence for the rest of South America...
.
Boyacá
Is one of the largest rooms of the palace, is named in honor to the battleBattle of Boyacá
The Battle of Boyacá in Colombia, then known as New Granada, was the battle in which Colombia acquired its definitive independence from Spanish Monarchy, although fighting with royalist forces would continue for years....
won by Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
on 7 August 1819, after which was free most of the Colombian territory. It was built in the early 1960s, becoming a space for meetings and lunch in honor to national and international personalities. The decoration of the room is formed by a parquetry floor and wood ceilings and baseboards.
Boyacá, is also decorated by a painting of muralist Gabriel Bracho, who represents the faces of Bolívar, Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña , was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independence war of the United Provinces of New Granada...
and José Antonio Anzoátegui
José Antonio Anzoátegui
José Antonio Anzoátegui was a Venezuelan Brigadier General in the Battle of Boyacá, helping to lead a republican army of Colombians and Venezuelans against Spanish royalist forces during the Venezuelan War of Independence.-See also:* Anzoátegui...
, heroes of Boyacá. The painting was inaugurated by President Rafael Caldera
Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez was president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999.Caldera taught sociology and law at various universities before entering politics. He was a founding member of COPEI, Venezuela's Christian Democratic party...
during his first term in office, on 1 August 1973. The room also has the busts of General Anzoátegui and Andrés Bello
Andrés Bello
Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López was a Venezuelan humanist, poet, lawmaker, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute an important part of Spanish American culture...
.
Council of Ministers
The area for the council of ministers is conformed by a corridor, the lobby and the meeting room. The corridor connects the entrance with the lobby. Both sides include pieces of the artistic heritage of Miraflores, such as the painting Bolívar by Cirilo Almeida and a bust of Carlos SoubletteCarlos Soublette
Carlos Soublette was President of Venezuela 1837-1839 and 1843–1847, and a hero of the Venezuelan War of Independence....
. In front of the vestibule are located a charcoal work representing Francisco de Miranda
Francisco de Miranda
Sebastián Francisco de Miranda Ravelo y Rodríguez de Espinoza , commonly known as Francisco de Miranda , was a Venezuelan revolutionary...
and a portrait of José María Vargas
José María Vargas
José María Vargas was the 4th President of Venezuela from 1835–1836.-Life and career:...
by painter Alirio Palacios.
The lobby is formed by a printing of Simón Bolívar of Alirio Palacios, the paintings Los Pescadores (The Fishermen) by Luisa Palacios (1958), La Tempestad (The Tempest) by César Rengifo (1958) and a piece of furniture with a style from the first half of 18th century. Also, there is a miniature of the monument erected in Campo Carabobo, the painting La Patria al Soldado (From Nation to Soldier) by Hugo Daini, and a bust of Bolívar in the entrance of the meeting room. The meeting room is the area for the council of ministers. Is conformed by a long oval table and a portrait of Simón Bolívar by painter José María Espinoza.
Joaquín Crespo (Hall of the Mirrors)
Joaquín Crespo room is used for formal meetings of the council of ministers, welcome the diplomatic corps and for the appointments of new ministers and ambassadors. Is characterized by a long table in the middle, two large paintings behind the presidential chair and four gigantic rock-crystal mirrors. Previously, was known as Hall of the Mirrors, in 2003 changed its name in honor to the first guest of the palace.Sun of Peru
Is one of the most representative rooms of the palace. Is used mainly for diplomatic accreditation and special events of the presidency. In this room highlights a gold sun donated by the Peruvian government, the work: El Día y la noche (Day and night), by Arturo MichelenaArturo Michelena
Arturo Michelena was a Venezuelan painter born in Valencia, Carabobo State. He began to paint at a young age under his father's tutelage. Traveled to Paris where he studied in the famous Académie Julian...
, a equestrian portrait of Simón Bolívar (1936) as main painting of the room, and a portrait of the first president of Venezuela: Cristóbal Mendoza
Cristóbal Mendoza
Cristóbal Hurtado de Mendoza was a Venezuelan politician. Cristobal became the first President of Venezuela in 1811.-Biography:...
. Both works of Tito Salas
Tito Salas
Británico Antonio Salas Díaz, better known as Tito Salas , was a Venezuelan painter.His father, José Antonio Salas, was one of the first traders who established a brewery in Venezuela. The studies of Tito, began in the Academy of Fine Arts of Caracas...
.
Vargas Swamp
This rectangular room was named after the victory of Simón Bolivar on 25 July 1819, in the battleVargas Swamp Battle
Vargas Swamp Battle was an armed conflict that occurred near Paipa, on July 25, 1819. The joint Venezuelan and Neogranadan army commanded by Simón Bolívar was trying to prevent the Spanish forces from arriving at Santafe de Bogotá, which was lightly defended, before they did...
of the same name, during the independence of Nueva Granada. It is used as a waiting room for people participating in ceremonies in Joaquín Crespo hall, and for visitors in general.
Presentations of books published under the auspices of the presidency and other government bodies also take place in the Vargas Swamp Room. Notable personalities may also be honoured here.
Also kept in this room are some of the presidential chairs from former administrations: José Antonio Páez
José Antonio Páez
José Antonio Páez Herrera was General in Chief of the army fighting Spain during the Venezuelan Wars of Independence, in addition to becoming the President of Venezuela once it was independent of the Gran Colombia...
, Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Leocadio Guzmán Blanco was President of Venezuela for three separate terms, from 1870–1877, from 1879–1884, and from 1886–1887....
, Joaquín Crespo and Juan Vicente Gómez. The furniture of the room consists of ten pieces, couches and chairs, two consoles and a piano. There is a mosaic floor, and the ceiling is criss-crossed by dark wooden beams.
See also
- President of Venezuela
- History of VenezuelaHistory of VenezuelaThis article discusses the history of Venezuela. See also the history of South America.-Pre-Columbian period:Archeologists have discovered evidence of the earliest known inhabitants of the Venezuelan area in the form of leaf-shaped flake tools, together with chopping and plano–convex scraping...
- List of official residences
Further reading
- Pineda, Rafael. El Palacio de Miraflores. Armitano Editores.: 1999. ISBN 980-216-170-5.
- Rivas Rivas, José. Ocurrió en Miraflores. Playco Editores: 1999. ISBN 980-6437-04-7.
- Yánes, OscarOscar YanesOscar Armando Yanes González is a Venezuelan journalist and writer.Yanes is considered a pioneer in Venezuelan television journalism, particularly in the televised interview. He has become famous for his historical research revealing disconcerting events in Venezuela History, and his television...
. Así son las cosas. Planeta: 2004. ISBN 980-271-331-7. - Guía al Archivo Histórico de Miraflores. Ediciones de la Presidencia de la República: 1987. ISBN 980-03-0032-5.
- Rodríguez Cárdenas, Manuel. Palabras para una visita a Miraflores.