Rioja Palace, Castle museum in Viña del Mar, Chile.
Rioja Palace stands on Quillota Street between 3 and 4 Norte in Viña del Mar's Vergara district, a residence built from 1909 by architect Alfredo Azancot for the Spanish businessman Fernando Rioja Medel. The house sits in the middle of a large park where Rioja planted botanical species from many parts of the world. Since 1979 it has housed the Museum of Decorative Arts of Viña del Mar.
The palace began as a residence for the Rioja family in the early 1900s. It became a decorative arts museum in 1979 to preserve Chilean cultural heritage.
The museum's collection numbers almost 384 pieces of furniture, textiles and ornament, including Empire-style items and exact replicas of Napoleonic furniture. The wall textiles and decorative objects belonged to Chilean aristocracy of the early 20th century. The palace was bought in 1956 by the Municipality of Viña del Mar, which used it for cultural ceremonies before it became a museum in 1979.
The palace stands on Quillota Street between 3 and 4 Norte, in the Vergara district of Viña del Mar. The building and its surrounding park were declared a Historic Monument in 1985, and the museum has occupied the house since August 1979. The 2010 earthquake caused structural damage; after restoration it reopened on 13 May 2016.
The palace's collection numbers almost 384 pieces of furniture, textiles and ornament, including exact replicas of Napoleonic furniture in the Empire style. The building and its surrounding park were declared a National Monument of Chile by Supreme Decree No. 262 of 14 May 1985.
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