Museo Histórico O'Higginiano, Historical art museum in central Talca, Chile

The Museo O'Higginiano y de Bellas Artes de Talca occupies the Casa de la Independencia, a colonial house at the corner of 1 Norte and 2 Oriente, where Bernardo O'Higgins signed the draft of Chile's Act of Independence in 1818. Its twelve heritage collections hold close to two thousand objects, from Chilean painting and sculpture to Mapuche silverwork, manuscripts, weapons and coins.

This building played a key role in Chile's independence movement when Bernardo O'Higgins worked on the nation's founding documents within its walls. The structure later became a museum to preserve these important historical connections.

The museum displays paintings by Chilean artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, offering insight into the country's artistic development during these eras. The exhibitions help visitors understand local art history through original works and objects on display.

The museum reopened on 24 November 2021 after reconstruction following the 2010 earthquake, so its rooms and displays are recent. It occupies the Casa de la Independencia at 1 Norte street, corner of 2 Oriente, in Talca's city centre. The permanent exhibition is organised as a journey through time and the geography of the Maule Region, ending with two art rooms of the founding collections.

The museum's collection of Chilean painting was declared a national monument in 1987, which is why the works by Pablo Burchard, Rafael Correa and Agustín Abarca are kept together. The building also holds a mansarda added during the 2008 renovation to enlarge the storage space for the collections.