Casa de Tucumán, site of the Argentine Declaration of Independence.

The House of Tucumán (in Spanish, officially Casa Histórica de la Independencia, informally Casa de Tucumán) is a historical building and museum located in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, where an assembly of delegates from several provinces of the country (the Congress of Tucumán) declared independence from Spain on 9 July 1816.

The house is a typical colonial-age dwelling, and was built near the end of the 17th century by mayor Diego Bazán y Figueroa. It has three courtyards, one of them surrounded by rooms. Due to its bad condition, it was almost completely demolished in 1903, but it was reconstructed in its original form (based on photographs and documents of the time) in 1941, and it was declared a National Historical Monument the same year.

A son et lumière show takes place at the House each evening to set the scene for the story of the declaration of independence. The show ends with the national anthem in front of the Argentine flag, flanked on either side by large reliefs of the historic scenes sculpted by Lola Mora.

[edit] References

• Museo Casa Histórica de la Independencia – website of the Historical House of Independence Museum.
• Argentine Ministry of Education – links and pictures.
• Tucumán, ciudad capital – a tourist brochure.
• WelcomeArgentina.com – photographic gallery of San Miguel de Tucumán.