Casa de Gobierno de Santa Fe, Governmental building in Santa Fe, Argentina.
Casa de Gobierno de Santa Fe is the seat of the provincial executive, built from 1908 to designs by architect Francisco Ferrari. It is organised as pavilions around two large internal courtyards, with symmetrical monumental facades in the French Second Empire style, clad in símil piedra París. The building occupies only half a block, so it has no rear facade; the ground floor holds the entrance hall and staircase, and the Salón Blanco is on the upper floor.
In 1897 a Santa Fe legislator proposed demolishing the old Cabildo to build a new government house; the plans by Bernardo Vázquez were approved on 23 April 1908 and the contract went to architect Francisco Ferrari, with demolition of the Cabildo beginning at once. Governor Manuel Menchaca moved his office into the building on 25 September 1915, and it was definitively opened in 1917 under Rodolfo Lehmann. A staged restoration began in 2008, covering the mansard, cupolas, the Paris-stone-effect render of the facades and the original woodwork.
The nickname Casa Gris comes from the building's resemblance to the Government House of Entre Ríos, which was called that first. The provincial executive has its seat here, and the governor's office was installed in the building on 25 September 1915 under Manuel Menchaca. The Salón Blanco on the upper floor is the ceremonial hall.
The building is located at Plaza 25 de Mayo in the city center and is easily accessible by foot. Keep in mind that it is an active government building, so public access may be limited to certain areas or times.
The nickname Casa Gris comes from its resemblance to the Government House of Entre Ríos, which originally bore that name, not from the colour of its own facade. The building occupies only half a block, so it has no rear facade. In 1908 the "Jirafa", a tower of the Police Headquarters built in 1903 under Governor Rodolfo Freyre, was demolished to keep the new front harmonious.
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