Legislative Palace of Uruguay
Palacio Legislativo
The seat of Uruguay's National Congress, this neoclassical marble palace was completed in 1925 and uses more than 50 kinds of Uruguayan marble inside.
The Palacio Legislativo houses Uruguay's Senate and Chamber of Deputies. It was designed by Italian architect Vittorio Meano, completed by Gaetano Moretti, and inaugurated on August 25, 1925, the centenary of Uruguay's independence. The building is grand and symmetrical, with a Greek temple-style colonnade and marble sculptures on its façade. Its interior, including the Salón de los Pasos Perdidos (Hall of Lost Steps) and the chambers of the Senate and the House, is lavishly decorated with more than 50 types of Uruguayan marble, stained-glass windows, mosaics and gilded lighting. It is considered one of the most beautiful legislative buildings in the world. The palace stands at the northern end of 18 de Julio Avenue, where it meets Artigas Avenue, and has an open plaza in front. Visiting: guided tours are offered on weekdays (about one hour, mainly in Spanish, with English available by reservation) and cost roughly 100 to 200 Uruguayan pesos. Check the Congress website for times. Visitors can watch sessions when Congress is in session. From Plaza Independencia, take a bus along 18 de Julio Avenue for about 15 minutes, or walk for about 40 minutes, passing Art Deco buildings in the city center along the way.
Opening hours
Weekday tours (check official website for times)
Nearby sights
- Mercado Agrícola de Montevideo
- Telecommunications Tower (Torre Antel)
- Feria de Tristán Narvaja
- Palacio Municipal & Mirador Panorámico
- Palacio Salvo
- Plaza Independencia
- Candombe in Barrio Sur & Palermo
- Museo Torres García