National Historical Museum in Palacio Lezama
Why is it significant?
Before you rises the grand Italianate manor house of the Museo Histórico Nacional, crowned by a tall square observation tower and surrounded by shaded porticos.
Key Facts
| Place | National Historical Museum in Palacio Lezama |
|---|---|
| Address | Defensa 1600, C1143 CABA, Argentina |
| Geo Coordinates | -34.62720, -58.37050 |
| Part of Walk | San Telmo, Plaza Dorrego, and the Birth of Tango: Colonial Cobblestones and Bohemian Spirit |
| Generated | Generated |
Before you rises the grand Italianate manor house of the Museo Histórico Nacional, crowned by a tall square observation tower and surrounded by shaded porticos. Built in 1857 as the private summer residence of José Gregorio Lezama and designed by British architect James Oliver, this stately mansion served as a showcase for mid-nineteenth-century luxury. In 1897, the City of Buenos Aires transferred the national historical collection to these spacious salons, transforming the former aristocratic villa into the nation's premier shrine of republican memory.
Look above the roofline at the mirador tower: from this lofty vantage point in the 1860s, Lezama could monitor merchant ships arriving in the harbor through a brass marine telescope.
Step through the entrance into a treasury of South American independence. The museum's most venerated artifact is the curved saber of General José de San Martín. Purchased by San Martín in London in 1811, this modest steel cavalry saber accompanied him across the snowy peaks of the Andes during the liberation campaigns of Chile and Peru. In his will, San Martín bequeathed this sacred weapon to Argentine governor Juan Manuel de Rosas for steadfastly defending national sovereignty against Anglo-French naval blockades. The museum also displays the iconic series of paintings of the Argentine War of Independence executed by Cándido López, who famously taught himself to paint with his left hand after losing his right arm in the Battle of Curupaytí during the War of the Triple Alliance between 1864 and 1870.
Standing inches away from San Martín's battle saber evokes the epic scale of the military crossing of the frozen Andes in 1817. Strolling past the oil paintings depicting nineteenth-century naval engagements and cavalry charges, you gain an intimate appreciation for the immense sacrifices that secured Argentine and continental freedom.
Exit onto Calle Brasil and look across to the corner of Defensa to marvel at the blue domes of the Russian Orthodox Church.