Palacio Salvo
Completed in 1928, this eclectic skyscraper was once the tallest building in South America, and its tower top offers a 360° view over the Old Town and the Río de la Plata.
The Palacio Salvo was designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti and completed in 1928. At about 100 metres including its antenna, it was the tallest building in South America when it opened, and it remains Montevideo's most recognizable skyline landmark. It blends Neo-Gothic, Art Deco, and Neoclassical styles. The tower is said to be inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy: the basement and lower floors represent Hell, the middle floors Purgatory, and the top Paradise. Palanti's Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires is almost a 'twin.' The site was originally a café, where the famous tango 'La Cumparsita' premiered, and a small tango museum now occupies the ground floor. Most of the building is apartments and offices. Ordinary visitors can join the official guided tour (about 45 minutes), which covers the lobby, some floors, and the observation deck at the top, with views over Independence Square, the Old Town peninsula, the port, and the broad Río de la Plata. Tours run several times a day on weekdays, with fewer on weekends. The ticket costs about 400 Uruguayan pesos (check on site). Most tours are in Spanish, with some English-language time slots.
Opening hours
Guided tours: Mon–Fri about 10:30–17:00, several sessions; fewer on weekends
Nearby sights
- Plaza Independencia
- Museo Torres García
- Solís Theatre
- Museo Andes 1972
- Ciudad Vieja
- Catedral Metropolitana de Montevideo
- Museo Gurvich
- Candombe in Barrio Sur & Palermo