Palacio San José

Palacio San José was built between 1848 and 1857 as the country residence of Justo José de Urquiza, the Entre Ríos landowner who became the first constitutional president of Argentina, and it was extraordinary for its time and place: thirty-eight rooms around two courtyards, running water, one of the first private telegraph connections in the country, frescoed ceilings painted by an Uruguayan artist, an Italianate garden with statuary, and an artificial lake with an island. Urquiza was killed here in 1870, and the room where it happened is preserved as it was. The estate became a national historic museum in the 1930s, and its rooms are furnished with period pieces, portraits and objects from the family, with the chapel and gardens open to walk.

What you actually see

• The frescoed rooms - painted ceilings and period furnishings across the wings.
• The two courtyards - the honour court and the service court around which the house is built.
• The Italianate garden - formal planting, statuary and the artificial lake.
• The chapel - the estate church with its painted interior.

When to go

April to November for comfortable weather; summer afternoons are hot and the gardens offer limited shade. Guided visits run at set times and add most of the context. Museum hours are reduced on some Mondays and holidays.

Honest expectations

Interpretation is largely in Spanish and geared to Argentine visitors familiar with the period. The palace is out in the country, so a car or taxi is needed. Some rooms are viewed from the doorway rather than entered.

Nearby

Concepción del Uruguay lies east; Colón and the river resorts are north.