Castillo de la Glorieta was built 1893-7 as a home for the mining baron Francisco Argadona and and his wife Clotilde Urioste. The family fortune came from the profits of the Huanchaca mine. No expense was spared on the building. It is an amazing structure of pink sandstone combining Moorish, Spanish and French architectural styles. There is a Gothic clock-tower, a minaret, a Byzantine onion dome and stucco horses heads around the roof of the stables which are only marginally less splendid than the house.
We went up the stairs and in through the front door into a huge reception hall with pillars and an archway leading to the grand staircase to the first floor bedrooms and tiled bathroom with a huge bath.
The place is no longer furnished – you just enjoy the full splendour of the rooms with their elaborate painted ceilings, stained glass and massive marble fireplaces.
The couple had no children and used their wealth to establish a religious house to provide educaion for poor children and orphans. They also opened a bank, built a felt hat factory to provide employment and funded railways and roads.
After their deaths, the house was left empty. There are extensive grounds but these are now occupied by the army and there are low huts and buildings everywhere. We had to go through a military checkpoint and there were young soldiers everywhere.
There is little information about the Castle in the guide books.
This is the best source I found:
http://www.southamericanpictures.com/features/feat9/princess.html
Pictures from our visit start here and the following 16 pictures:
http://homepage.mac.com/wasleys/sth_amer_10_mw/09ToSucre/image-html/07IMGP3550.html
