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

Overview

Tucumán Province, the most populous and economically important in the Argentine Northwest

Argentine Northwest

The Argentine Northwest is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.-Geography:The region had 5 different biomes:* Sub-Andean humid Sierras of the east...

, lacked architecturally significant government offices, early in the 20th Century. As both a remedy to that absence and a means to encourage unban 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

Cabildo

Cabildo can refer to:* Cabildo , a former Spanish municipal administrative unit governed by a council* Cabildo , African ethnic associations in colonial Cuba* Cabildo , an Argentine nationalist Catholic magazine...

 then still serving as his offices. The cabildo housed not only the governor's offices; but also a courtroom and small jail.

The governor commissioned local architect Domingo Selva, whose design was an eclectic form of French baroque

Baroque architecture

Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...

, with an Italianate 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 Sáenz Peña

Roque Sáenz Peña Lahitte was President of Argentina from 12 October 1910 to 9 August 1914, when he died in office...

.
Facing Plaza Independencia, 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 Spanish

Spanish art

Spanish art is the visual art of Spain, and that of Spanish artists worldwide. Whilst an important contributor to Western art and producing many famous and influential artists Spanish art has often had distinctive characteristics and been assessed...

 historical 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

Juan Bautista Alberdi was an Argentine political theorist and diplomat. Although he lived most of his life in exile in Montevideo and Chile, he was one of the most influential Argentine liberals of his age.-Biography:...

, were transferred from their La Recoleta Cemetery

La Recoleta Cemetery

La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in the exclusive Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, and several presidents of Argentina.- History :...

 resting place (in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

) 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.