Museo Romántico of Montevideo, Historical mansion museum in Ciudad Vieja, Uruguay

Casa de Antonio Montero is a neoclassical mansion in downtown Montevideo with marble floors, detailed woodwork, and high ceilings arranged around a central courtyard. The rooms are furnished with paintings, furniture, and decorative objects that document the life of a wealthy family in the 1800s.

Bernardo de la Torre began building on the site in 1778, when the street was still called La Cruz; the ground floor held a house, warehouses and shops. The merchant Antonio Montero bought the property on 31 August 1830 and commissioned José Toribio, son of Tomás Toribio, to finish and embellish it, adding marble details that earned it the name Palacio del Mármol. Restored between 1958 and 1962, it opened as the Museo Romántico on 18 July 1962 and was classified a National Historic Monument in 1975.

The rooms display how wealthy families lived and what mattered to them in Montevideo during the 1800s. The furnishings and objects shown reflect their daily routines, tastes, and social position.

The museum is located in the historic center and operates on select weekdays with afternoon hours, so check the schedule before visiting. It is easily accessible by public transportation and the rooms can be comfortably explored on foot.

The mansion was long known as the Palace of Marble because imported marble was used so extensively throughout the building during the 1830s renovation. This lavish use of material was remarkable for the time and made the house famous among Montevideo residents.