Palacio de las Garzas

Last updated
Palacio de las Garzas
Una manana tranquila en el Palacio de Las Garzas.JPG
Main view of the Palacio de las Garzas.
Palacio de las Garzas
General information
Architectural style Colonial
Town or city Panama City
Country Panama
Construction started1673 (1673)
Completed1922 (1922)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Leonardo Villanueva Meyer

The Palacio de las Garzas (Herons' Palace) is the governmental office and residence of the President of Panama. It receives its name because of herons roaming freely in the courtyard. The herons were first brought to the building in 1922, by the former president Belisario Porras Barahona, at the suggestion of friend and famed Panamanian poet Ricardo Miró. [1]

Contents

History

The building is located in Casco Viejo, the old quarter of Panama City, which was built after the first settlement was destroyed just prior and during the sacking by pirate Henry Morgan. It was built in 1673 and has undergone many changes through the years. Initially, it was used as a home for the Spanish governor, as a royal winery, as a warehouse, and as both customs and National Bank's headquarters.

The new presidential house replaced the old customs offices on January 19, 1885. The remodeling works included the addition of a new room for official events in the upper level, along with other rooms to be used by the president and his family members. A Colombian artist, Epifanio Garay, was in charge of painting the portraits of all presidents since 1855.

The current Palacio de las Garzas was officially inaugurated on August 3, 1923. However, it was not until 1938 that it was acquired totally when the National Bank moved to its new headquarters located at Central Avenue. This transaction was in process since 1936 through an exchange with the Panamanian State.

Extensive renovations to the building were done around 1922, under the supervision of architect Leonardo Villanueva-Meyer. Works included the Andalusian courtyard, the addition of a third floor and two towers.

An elevator was added in 1934 for a State visit by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt so that he could access the chambers where he was to stay. [2]

The building has served as the main office and official residence for all Panamanian presidents though some of them, such as Laurentino Cortizo, the current president, Juan Carlos Varela, Ricardo Martinelli, Martín Torrijos, Mireya Moscoso, Ernesto Pérez Balladares, have chosen to keep their residences elsewhere in the city and commute to the palace.

Rooms

The Salón Amarillo (Yellow Room) is the most important room, where most formal events are held. The Salón de los Tamarindos (Tamarind's Room) is the presidential dining room and receives its name from its murals, where the Panamanian painter Roberto Lewis inspired his ideas on Taboga Island and its famous tamarind trees. This work was asked in 1938 by Juan Demóstenes Arosemena, the president of that period. The Salón Morisco (Moorish Room) was added during the 1922 renovations by Villanueva-Meyer.

8°57′14″N79°32′04″W / 8.953966°N 79.534364°W / 8.953966; -79.534364

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malacañang Palace</span> Official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines

Malacañang Palace, officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, along Jose P. Laurel Street, though it is commonly associated with nearby Mendiola Street. The term Malacañang is often used as a metonym for the president, their advisers, and the Office of the President of the Philippines. The sprawling Malacañang Palace complex includes numerous mansions and office buildings designed and built largely in the bahay na bato and neoclassical styles. Among the presidents of the present Fifth Republic, only Gloria Macapagal Arroyo actually lived in the main palace as both her office and her residence, with all others residing in nearby properties that form part of the larger palace complex. The palace has been seized several times as a result of protests starting with the People Power Revolution of 1986, the 1989 coup attempt, the 2001 Manila riots, and the EDSA III riots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Élysée Palace</span> Official residence of the President of the French Republic

The Élysée Palace is the official residence of the President of the French Republic in Paris. Completed in 1722, it was built for Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, a nobleman and army officer who had been appointed Governor of Île-de-France in 1719. It is located on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, near the Champs-Élysées. The name Élysée derives from the Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Moneda Palace</span> Building in Santiago, Chile

Palacio de La Moneda, or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the president of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency, and General Secretariat of the Government. Located in downtown Santiago, it occupies an entire block in the Civic District, bordered by Moneda street to the north, Morandé street to the east, Alameda del Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins to the south, and Teatinos street to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belém Palace</span> Official residence of the President of the Portuguese Republic, in Lisbon

The Belém Palace, formally the National Palace of Belém,, is the current official residence of the president of the Portuguese Republic, the head of state of Portugal. Located in the Belém District of Lisbon, the palace's main façade fronts the Afonso de Albuquerque Square, facing the Tagus River. A former residence of the Portuguese royal family, the Belém Palace complex is made up of various buildings, wings, courtyards, and gardens, built variously from the 18th to 21st centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid</span> Urban park n Madrid, Spain

The Retiro Park, also known as Buen Retiro Park or simply El Retiro, is one of the largest city parks in Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868, when it became a public park following the Glorious Revolution. The park is located at the edge of the city centre, near both the Puerta de Alcalá and the Museo del Prado, and covers 1.4 km2. It has gardens, monuments, galleries, an artificial lake, and event-hosting venues. In 2021, Buen Retiro Park became part of a combined UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes Paseo del Prado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Palace of Madrid</span> Official residence of the Spanish royal family

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 m2 (1,450,000 sq ft) of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest royal palace in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Palace of Aranjuez</span> Royal palace of Spain

The Royal Palace of Aranjuez is one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family. It is located in the town of Aranjuez (Madrid), Spain. Established in the 16th century as a royal hunting lodge, the palace was built by order of Philip II. Under his reign it became one of four seasonal seats of the court along Rascafría, El Escorial and the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. The royal estate comprises a set of landscaped and ornate gardens and woodlands that house an extensive botanical collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Palace, Peru</span> Building in Lima, Peru

The Government Palace, also known as the House of Pizarro, is the seat of the executive branch of the Peruvian government, and the official residence of the president of Peru. The palace is a stately government building, occupying the northern side of the Plaza Mayor in Peru's capital city, Lima. Set on the Rímac River, the palace occupies the site of a very large huaca that incorporated a shrine to Taulichusco, the last kuraka of Lima.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miraflores Palace</span> Official residence of the President of Venezuela

The Miraflores Palace is the official dispatch and head office of the President of Venezuela. It is located on Urdaneta Avenue, Libertador Bolivarian Municipality in Caracas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Moncloa</span> Residence of the Prime Minister of Spain

The Palace of Moncloa, also known as Moncloa Palace or La Moncloa, is the official residence and workplace of the President of the Government, a position usually known in the English language as the Prime Minister of Spain. It is located on Puerta de Hierro Avenue in the Moncloa-Aravaca district of Madrid. It has been the official residence of the Prime Minister since 1977, when Adolfo Suárez moved the residence from the Palace of Villamejor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcázar of Seville</span> Royal palace in Seville, Spain

The Alcázar of Seville, officially called Royal Alcázar of Seville, is a historic royal palace in Seville, Spain. It was formerly the site of the Islamic-era citadel of the city, begun in the 10th century and then developed into a larger palace complex by the Abbadid dynasty and the Almohads. After the Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces and gardens. Among the most important of these is a richly-decorated Mudéjar-style palace built by Pedro I during the 1360s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Palace (Mexico)</span> Palace in Mexico City

The National Palace is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico. Since 2018 it has also served as the official residence for the President of Mexico. It is located on Mexico City's main square, the Plaza de la Constitución. This site has been a palace for the ruling class of Mexico since the Aztec Empire, and much of the current palace's building materials are from the original one that belonged to the 16th-century leader Moctezuma II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casa de Nariño</span> Official residence and workplace of the President of Colombia

The Casa de Nariño, literally the House of Nariño, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Colombia. It houses the main office of the executive branch and is located in the capital city of Bogotá, Colombia. It was dedicated in 1908 after being constructed on the site of the house where Antonio Nariño was born. The design was made by architects Gastón Lelarge, a French-born former pupil of Charles Garnier, and Julián Lombana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palacio de los Capitanes Generales</span>

The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales is the former official residence of the Spanish Empire's governors of Havana, Cuba, and in the Post-Colonial Period was for many time the City Hall. Located on the eastern side of the Plaza de Armas in Old Havana it is home to the Museum of the City of Havana. It houses exhibitions of art and historical artefacts and many of the rooms are preserved with their original Colonial decoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislative Palace of Uruguay</span>

The Legislative Palace of Uruguay is a monumental building, meeting place of the General Assembly of Uruguay, and the seat of the legislative branch of the Uruguayan government. It is located in the Aguada neighborhood of Montevideo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casco Viejo, Panama</span> Historic District of Panama City in Panama

Casco Antiguo, also known as Casco Viejo or San Felipe, is the historic district of Panama City. Completed and settled in 1673, it was built following the near-total destruction of the original Panamá city, Panamá Viejo in 1671, when the latter was attacked by pirates. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palacio de las Dueñas</span> Palace in Seville, Spain

Palacio de las Dueñas is a palace in Seville, Spain, currently belonging to the House of Alba. It was built in the late 15th century in the Renaissance style with Gothic and Moorish influences. The palace is one of the major historic homes of great architectural and artistic heritage in the city. The poet Antonio Machado was born here, as were Carlos Falcó, 5th Marquess of Griñón, and the Marquess of Castel-Moncayo. On October 5, 2011, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba, married her third husband here. The palace became a national monument on June 3, 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palacio Liévano</span> City hall of Bogotá, Colombia

The Palacio Liévano or Lievano Palace is a building located on the west side of the Plaza de Bolivar in Bogotá, Colombia in the cultural and historical hub of the city. The palace is located in La Candelaria district. Along the cobblestone streets of La Candelaria are other formal buildings such as the Plaza de Bolivar, the Palacio de Justicia, and the Casa de Nariño, as well as a library and museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow House (Venezuela)</span> National historical monument of Venezuela in Caracas

The Casa Amarilla de Caracas is a 19th Century neoclassical building in Plaza Bolívar, Caracas and in front of the Santa Ana Cathedral, in the city's main historic quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unzué Palace</span> Argentine palace

Unzué Palace, also known as Quinta Unzué, was the presidential residence of the Argentine Republic located in Buenos Aires during the presidency of Juan Domingo Perón (1946–1955), and became a place of pilgrimage and cult after the death of Eva Perón in 1952. The building's symbolic importance was such that, after the military coup that led to Perón's downfall in 1955, the dictators who subsequently took power ordered its complete demolition, to erase all traces of its former occupants.

References

  1. "Las garzas del Palacio Presidencial" (in Spanish). La Prensa. 2003-07-13. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
  2. "Webpage of Panamanian Scholar Alonso Roy on the Presidential Palace" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-03-12.