TOURING THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING
"The Legislative Palace"
Versión en Español Versâo em Portugûes
The “Legislative Palace”, as it is called, was
built between 1908 and 1925 (Inaugurated on the 25th of August, 1925, in
celebration of the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence). The Italian
architect Gaetano Moretti was in charge of directing the construction works and
finishing the building.
The main entrance hall introduces the visitor to the
building. Four large paintings by two local artists decorate the walls: On the
side lunettes, paintings by Manuel Rosé, one of them suggestive allegory of the
discovery of the Americas, the “Encounter of the Indian centaur and the
Castillian lion”, the other one, a symbolic representation named “The First
Furrow”. The larger paintings below are “The Swearing of Allegiance to the 1830
Constitution” by Pedro Blanes Viale, -underneath of which the first Constitution
of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is shown- and “Paying a Visit to General
Artigas at the Cerrito de la Victoria military camp”. Four huge 6.2-meter tall
one-piece red granite columns stand one on each side of these paintings.
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This magnificent central lobby is entirely covered with
local marble and granite from quarries located in the Departments of Lavalleja
and Maldonado, and from the Department of Canelones, respectively. This hall
practically parts the building symetrically into two wings: one for the Senate,
the other, for the House of Representatives. The entrances to the meeting rooms
on each side are crowned with two large semicircular stained-glass windows
representing Justice, over the entrance to the Senate, and Labour, over the
entrance to the Meeting room of the House of Representatives. Below, on either
side, reliefs of polished plaster made by Uruguayan sculptor Edmundo Prati,
representing national historic events. A Venetian mosaic, made by the
“Cooperativa di Mosaicisti di Venezia” under designs by Italian artist Giovanni
Buffa, appears on the lunette on each end of the central nave. These two
mosaics represent the Sciences (south) and the Arts (north). The central vault
has two curved stained-glass skylights on its ends and a flat square one in the
centre. On the sides of these curved windows the ceiling is decorated with
reliefs by Uruguayan sculptor José Belloni re-creating the four symbols of our
National Emblem.
In the middle of the hall, at the circle made of black granit, it is shown the original book of the “Declaration of Independence of 1825”.
In the middle of the hall, at the circle made of black granit, it is shown the original book of the “Declaration of Independence of 1825”.
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Protocol and cultural events are held in this room. The
ceiling was decorated by Italian artists Enrico and Americo Albertazzi in
Barroque-Bizantine style and is covered with gold-leaf details. The furniture
and the woodwork were made in Italy and there are splendid bronze and fine
glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. A huge one-piece hand-woven Turkish
carpet covers a large part of the room. Six oil paintings made by Uruguayan
artists decorate the room. These paintings are “The 1813-Assembly at Tres
Cruces” by Pedro Blanes Viale; the portraits of “Fructuoso Rivera” and of
“Manuel Oribe” and the painting representing “The Battle at Las Piedras” by
Manuel Rosé; and another version of “Fructuoso Rivera” and the protrait of
“Juan Antonio Lavalleja” by José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín.
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The Senate is made up of 30 Senators plus the Vice
President of the Republic, who presides over it. The hemicicle was panelled and
furnished by local craftsmen with Paraguayan wood. Over the Speaker’s desk
there appears the National Emblem sculptured in plaster, coloured with painting
and gold-plated. The bust of Athena, the Greek goddess of Wisdom, stands right
over the emblem. A stained-glass skylight shaped as a rising sun is overhead.
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The Lower House has 99 members and one of its members
presides over it for a one-year term. Behing the Desk we can see an oil
painting by French artist Ferdinand Laroche representing the “Encounter of
General Artigas and General Rondeau during the Second Siege to the city of
Montevideo in 1813”. On either side of the desk, at a higher level, the two
honour boxes for special guests and, after them, the boxes for the press. There
are two levels of galleries for the public. Italian walnut wood furniture and
panelling for the floor and European oak for the public galleries. The National
Emblem appears in the skylight. The meetings of the General Assembly are also
held in this room.
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The Library of the Legislative Power is the second most
important library in the country. It has approximately 250,000 volumes, and is
open to the general public in the morning. The Central Room is entirely covered
with a fine cabinet wood-work with in-laid wood, stained glass and bronze
details, that was made in Italy. On the show case piece of furniture standing
in the centre of the room, one of the models made by Italian sculptor Angelo
Zanelli for the Monument of Artigas at Plaza Independencia. In one corner of
the room, a copy of the Venus de Milo.
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