Pizzurno Palace, Government building in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Palacio Pizzurno is a government building in Recoleta that serves as the headquarters of Argentina's Ministry of Education. The four-story facade shows stone carvings, columns, and symmetrical rows of windows in German Renaissance Revival and Second Empire styles.
Carlos and Hans Altgelt designed the building between 1886 and 1888 for Petronila Rodríguez de Rojas, who wanted to create a center for education. Since 1903, it has housed the Ministry of Education and was officially named Palacio Sarmiento in 1961, though the Pizzurno name remained more common.
The building takes its name from Pablo Pizzurno, an educator who reformed Argentina's school system. Inside, the National Library of Teachers collects materials and historical documents related to the country's educational past.
The building is open during weekday office hours, with the main entrance facing Plaza Rodríguez Peña. The library inside can be accessed by visitors with prior registration.
The building's facades were originally clad in símil piedra París, a stone substitute now hidden under layers of paint. Look for the figures in the mezzanine windows representing the Sciences and the Arts and the Force of Peace, and the allegories of the Río de la Plata and the Andes on the upper balconies.
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