The ''Palacio de Miraflores'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for Miraflores Palace) is the official residence of the

President of Venezuela The president of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de Venezuela), officially known as the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is the head of state and head of government in Ven ...

. It is located on Urdaneta Avenue,

Libertador Bolivarian Municipality The Libertador Bolivarian Municipality ( es, Municipio Bolivariano Libertador) is the only administrative division of the Capital District and along with the municipalities of Baruta, Chacao, El Hatillo and Sucre forms the Metropolitan District ...

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

History

Construction and decoration

Construction on the building started on 27 April 1884, under the direction of Giuseppe Orsi, intended as the family residence of Joaquin Crespo. Also participating: painter Julián Oñate, Juan Bautista Sales and his team of sculptors, decorators, wood carvers, builders - who erected the European-style Miraflores Palace. To decorate it, furniture was imported from

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain; a bronze rosette was commissioned from the Marrera foundry and 24 bronze lamps were ordered from Requena brothers at San Juan de los Morros, Guárico state. In 1911, the national administration acquired the property from General Félix Galavis at a cost of five hundred thousand ''bolívares'', and Miraflores Palace became the official presidential residence and office. After many modifications, the current

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

presents fountains encompassed by corridors and halls, such as the Peruvian Sun Hall, decorated with gold donated by the government of Peru; the Joaquín Crespo Hall, with its four gigantic rock-crystal mirrors; Vargas Swamp, which commemorates the Battle of Boyacá, in Colombia; the Ambassador Hall, where diplomats are received; and Ayacucho Hall, in honor of Marshall Antonio José de Sucre and the battle in which he starred.

Early years as presidential residence

Miraflores Palace served as presidential residence of

Cipriano Castro José Cipriano Castro Ruiz (12 October 1858 – 4 December 1924) was a high-ranking member of the Venezuelan military, politician and the president of Venezuela from 1899 to 1908. He was the first man from the Andes to rule the country, and was ...

and then

Juan Vicente Gómez Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón (24 July 1857 – 17 December 1935) was a Venezuelan military general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air ...

, who occupied it until 1913. From 1914 to 1922, it functioned as office to the provisional administration of

Victorino Márquez Bustillos Victorino Márquez Bustillos (2 November 1858 – 10 January 1941), was a Venezuelan lawyer and politician, and was provisional president of Venezuela from 1914 to 1922. Although Bustillos was elected by Congress, General Juan Vicente Gómez rem ...

. In 1923, Miraflores witnessed the murder of Vice-president Juan Crisóstomo Gómez, brother of President Juan Vicente Gómez. From 1931 to 1935, the palace was uninhabited, guarded by the army. During the governments of

Eleazar López Contreras José Eleazar López Contreras (5 May 1883 – 2 January 1973) was the president of Venezuela between 1935 and 1941. He was an army general and one of Juan Vicente Gómez's collaborators, serving as his War Minister from 1931. In 1939, López C ...

and

Isaías Medina Angarita Isaías Medina Angarita (6 July 1897 – 15 September 1953) was a Venezuelan military and political leader, the president of Venezuela from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. He followed the path of his predecessor Eleazar López Contreras ...

, the presidential office was modified. In 1945,

Rómulo Betancourt Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello (22 February 1908 – 28 September 1981; ), known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was the president of Venezuela, serving from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1959 to 1964, as well as leader of Acción De ...

became the first president who identified the seat of government as Miraflores Palace, replacing the name Federal Palace.

Expansions and restorations

In the dictatorship of

Marcos Pérez Jiménez Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 195 ...

, architect Luis Malaussena introduced radical changes inside the palace, eliminating part of Crespo's era decoration. The succeeding administrations made some additions: a Japanese garden, an administration building, the Ayacucho Hall, and the Bicentennial square. In the first period of

Rafael Caldera Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez ( (); 24 January 1916 – 24 December 2009), twice elected the president of Venezuela, served for two five-year terms (1969–1974 and 1994–1999), becoming the longest serving democratically elected leade ...

(1969–1974), construction of the Administrative Building began. In February 1979, the palace was declared a National Historical Monument. During the government of

Luis Herrera Campins Luis Antonio Herrera Campins (4 May 1925 – 9 November 2007) was the president of Venezuela from 1979 to 1984. He was elected to one five-year term in 1978. He was a member of COPEI, a Christian Democratic party. Early life and career Luis ...

(1979–1984), the Administrative Building and the Bicentennial square were finished. In the mid 1980s, the area for the Council of Ministers was extended. During the 1990s and 2000s, restoration of the original aspects of the palace began. Miraflores has sometimes been the residence of the president of Venezuela, although La Casona is the actual official residence. In February 2007, the Simón Bolívar Press Room opened.

Miraflores Historical Archive

With a volume of documents of nearly 15 million pages, the Miraflores Historical Archive has the mission to preserve the files of Venezuelan presidents. This process began in 1959, when Secretary of Presidency

Ramón José Velásquez Ramón José Velásquez Mujica (28 November 1916 – 24 June 2014) was a Venezuelan politician, historian, journalist, and lawyer. He served as the president of Venezuela between 1993 and 1994. Background and personal life Velásquez was born ...

, undertook the rescue and recovery of files corresponding to the governments of Cipriano Castro (1899–

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

) and Juan Vicente Gómez (1908–1935), located in the basement of Presidential Guard. This action marked the beginning of the processes of recovery and preservation of documentary information generated by the presidency. In 1979,

Nora Bustamante Luciani Nora Bustamante Luciani (24 April 1924 – 9 November 2012) was a Venezuelan physician, historian, writer and intellectual, who served as the president of the Venezuelan Association of the History of Medicine, the first woman to hold the post. F ...

was appointed as director of the archive. Throughout her tenure, which terminated in 1995, Bustamante worked on the first indices of the archive's ''Bulletin''. She published two volumes as a guide to the first one hundred issues. The documentary fund filed documents from 1899 until 1983. The different document types that comprise the fund, originated a rating system divided in chronological sections.

Rooms

Ayacucho

Ayacucho is mainly used for official events and addresses to the nation. Is conformed by wood walls, with a capacity for 200 to 250 people located in front of a podium. The room is used to receive heads of state and government and for special occasions such as the recognition with the

Order of the Liberator The Order of the Liberator was the highest distinction of Venezuela and was appointed for services to the country, outstanding merit and benefits made to the community. For Venezuelans the order ranks first in the order of precedence from other or ...

to personalities of politics, culture and society; award only given by presidential decree. In Ayacucho room emphasizes a painting of

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

, located behind the desk where the President addresses the country via radio, television, and the internet. The room was named in honor to the

battle of Ayacucho The Battle of Ayacucho ( es, Batalla de Ayacucho, ) was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. This battle secured the independence of Peru and ensured independence for the rest of South America. In Peru it is co ...

Boyacá

It is one of the largest rooms of the palace, and is named in honor of the

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

won by

on 7 August 1819, after which most of the Colombian territory was freed. It was built in the early 1960s, becoming a space for meetings and lunch in honor to national and international personalities. The decoration of the room is formed by a parquetry floor and wood ceilings and baseboards. Boyacá is also decorated by a painting of muralist

Gabriel Bracho Gabriel Bracho (born 25 May 1915 in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Zulia, died 6 March 1995 in Caracas) was a Venezuelan artist. He and César Rengifo were major exponents of the social realism artistic movement in Venezuela.Gabriel Bracho - Un Pintor ...

, who represents the faces of Bolívar,

Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña (Villa del Rosario, Norte de Santander, Colombia, April 2, 1792 – Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia, May 6, 1840), was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independ ...

and

José Antonio Anzoátegui José Antonio Anzoátegui (1789–1819) was a Venezuelan brigadier general in the Battle of Boyacá, helping to lead a republican army of Colombians and Venezuelans against Spanish royalist forces during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He is c ...

, heroes of Boyacá. The painting was inaugurated by President

during his first term in office, on 1 August 1973. The room also has the busts of General José Antonio Anzoátegui and

Andrés Bello Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López (; November 29, 1781 – October 15, 1865) was a Venezuelan- Chilean humanist, diplomat, poet, legislator, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute an ...

Council of Ministers

The area for the council of ministers is conformed by a corridor, the lobby and the meeting room. The corridor connects the entrance with the lobby. Both sides include pieces of the artistic heritage of Miraflores, such as the painting ''Bolívar'' by Cirilo Almeida and a bust of

Carlos Soublette Carlos Valentín José de la Soledad Antonio del Sacramento de Soublette y Jerez de Aristeguieta (15 December 1789 – 11 February 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1837 to 1839 and 1843 to 1847 and a hero of the Venezuelan War of Ind ...

. In front of the vestibule are located a charcoal work representing

Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spani ...

and a portrait of

José María Vargas José María Vargas Ponce (10 March 1786, in La Guaira – 13 April 1854, in New York City) was the president of Venezuela from 1835 to 1836. Vargas was Venezuela's first civilian president. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the S ...

by painter

Alirio Palacios Alirio Palacios (December 7, 1938 – September 11, 2015) was a Venezuelan visual artist known for his drawings, graphic designing, printmaking and sculpture. Horse figures were often motifs of his graphic art and sculpture, an obsession he develope ...

. The lobby is formed by a printing of Simón Bolívar of Alirio Palacios, the paintings ''Los Pescadores'' (The Fishermen) by Luisa Palacios (1958), ''La Tempestad'' (The Tempest) by César Rengifo (1958) and a piece of furniture with a style from the first half of 18th century. Also, there is a miniature of the monument erected in Campo Carabobo, the painting ''La Patria al Soldado'' (From Nation to Soldier) by Hugo Daini, and a bust of Bolívar in the entrance of the meeting room. The meeting room is the area for the council of ministers. Is conformed by a long oval table and a portrait of Simón Bolívar by painter José María Espinoza.

Joaquín Crespo (Hall of the Mirrors)

Joaquín Crespo room is used for formal meetings of the council of ministers, welcome the diplomatic corps and for the appointments of new ministers and ambassadors. It is characterized by a long table in the middle, two large paintings behind the presidential chair and four gigantic rock-crystal mirrors. It was known as Hall of the Mirrors until 2003 when it was renamed in honor to the first guest of the palace.

Sun of Peru

It is one of the most representative rooms of the palace. It is used mainly for diplomatic accreditation and special events of the presidency. In this room highlights a gold sun donated by the Peruvian government, the work: ''El Día y la noche'' (Day and night), by

Arturo Michelena Francisco Arturo Michelena Castillo (; 16 June 1863 – 29 July 1898) was a Venezuelan painter known for his historical and Genre art, genre scenes and portraits. Biography His father, Juan Antonio Michelena (1832-1918) was also a painter ...

, an equestrian portrait of Simón Bolívar (1936) as the main painting of the room, and a portrait of the first president of Venezuela:

Cristóbal Mendoza José Cristóbal Hurtado de Mendoza y Montilla (23 June 1772 – 8 February 1829), commonly known as Cristóbal Mendoza, was a Venezuelan lawyer, politician, writer, and academic. Cristobal is best known for serving as the first official Presid ...

. Both works of

Tito Salas Británico Antonio Salas Díaz, better known as Tito Salas (8 May 1887 – 18 March 1974), was a Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country o ...

Vargas Swamp

This rectangular room was named after the victory of Simón Bolivar on 25 July 1819, in the

of the same name, during the independence of Nueva Granada. It is used as a waiting room for people participating in ceremonies in Joaquín Crespo hall, and for visitors in general. Presentations of books published under the auspices of the presidency and other government bodies also take place in the Vargas Swamp Room. Notable personalities may also be honoured here. Also kept in this room are some of the presidential chairs from former administrations:

José Antonio Páez José Antonio Páez Herrera (; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan leader who fought against the Spanish Crown for Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He later led Venezuela's independence from Gran Colombia. H ...

Antonio Guzmán Blanco Antonio José Ramón de La Trinidad y María Guzmán Blanco (28 February 1829 – 28 July 1899) was a Venezuelan military leader, statesman, diplomat and politician. He was the president of Venezuela for three separate terms, from 1870 until 1 ...

, Joaquín Crespo and Juan Vicente Gómez. The furniture of the room consists of ten pieces, couches and chairs, two consoles and a piano. There is a mosaic floor, and the ceiling is criss-crossed by dark wooden beams.

Notes

References

*
Website of the Presidency of Venezuela
*