La Glorieta castle, National monument in Sucre, Bolivia

La Glorieta castle stands near Sucre as a building combining three towers with five distinct architectural styles integrated throughout. The structure features Moorish, Chinese, Russian, Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic elements distributed across its different sections and rooms.

The Urioste–Argandoña couple, linked to silver mining, banking and diplomacy, bought 40 hectares outside Sucre for their residence and commissioned the Swiss architect Antonio Camponovo, then based in Argentina, who drew the plans; the Italians Martinelli and Tonelli laid out the palace gardens. The Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889 inspired the design, and the building was finished in 1897. It was declared a National Monument on 27 August 1970, and in the second half of the 20th century passed into military hands, with many garden hectares lost since.

The castle blends multiple building styles from different parts of the world into one structure. Walking through it, you notice how Moorish arches sit near Gothic details and Chinese-inspired rooms, reflecting the owners' fascination with distant lands.

The castle sits about 5 kilometers from central Sucre and welcomes visitors Tuesday through Sunday. Plan enough time to explore all three towers and the various rooms at a comfortable pace.

The Prince's Tower reaches 45 metres and has 108 steps. The source records a story, not a documented study, that the prince liked to climb it at night to look at the stars. The tower's dome and form follow an Arab style.