Description of the attraction
One of the most beautiful buildings in the Paraguayan capital is the Presidential Palace, also called the Palace of Lopez - after its first owner, Francisco Solano Lopez.
Currently, this mansion serves as the residence of the government and the president of the country. It was designed in 1857 by the Hungarian engineer Francisco Wisner de Morgenstern, and the English architect Alonso Taylor took over the construction management. Construction materials for this building were brought from different parts of Paraguay, and craftsmen from Europe were invited to decorate it. The Frenchman Julio Monet decorated the vaults, the Englishman Owen Mognihan designed the facade, and the Italian Andres Antonini designed the magnificent marble staircase that became the decoration of the palace.
By 1867, when the Paraguayan War had been going on for three years, the palace was almost complete. Bronze statues and wooden furniture were brought to it from Paris. The owner of the palace, Francisco Solano Lopez, never stopped under his roof, moving to Nimbuku, from where it was more convenient to lead the military operations. In 1869, due to the actions of the Brazilian and Argentine armies, the palace suffered serious damage. The attackers took all the valuable decorations to Brazil. Then the commanders of the Brazilian army settled here for 7 years.
After the withdrawal of the occupying troops from Paraguay, the Presidential Palace was temporarily abandoned. Restoration work began only in 1890. Since then, this building has been occupied exclusively by the first persons of the country.
In the evening, the palace is beautifully illuminated, which makes it possible to take spectacular pictures.
