The building

The building is an Italian-style townhouse, built in 1873 as planned by Juan Antonio Buschiazzo, one of the architects brought in the mid-19th century to Argentina by Bernardino Rivadavia. At the time, it housed the executive, legislative and judicial powers of the federal government, when they had to leave Buenos Aires. The National Congress, met in the biggest of it meeting when they declared Buenos Aires as the nation's capital, under president Avellaneda. At the end of the civil war, the Federalization Law was signed in this building. Due to this event, it was declared a National Historic Monument.^[1]

In 1938, at the 50th anniversary of Sarmiento's death, the federal government dedicated it as a museum. On 28 July of that year, the mansion was dedicated by presidential decree of then president Roberto Marcelino Ortiz, after a proposal of then head of the Historical Museums Commission Ricardo Levene.

The collection

The museum displays some of Sarmiento's belongings, as established by Law #12556. In 1913 his grandchildren donated other objects of his to the collection. The museum's collection contains furniture, and various sets of cutlery obtained by the president during his travels.

Sarmiento Room

Used for temporary exhibitions

Has a portrait of Sarmiento by his granddaughter Eugenia Belin Sarmiento and showcases with different objects of daily use.

Bedroom

This room displays the period from 1811 to 1841 in chronological order. It contains Victorian furniture from Sarmiento's home in Buenos Aires.

Dining room

Another portrait of the president by his granddaughter, Eugenia Belin Sarmiento, plus some personal objects.

Facundo's room

This room commemorates the work on Facundo: Civilization and Barbarism written by Sarmiento, showing old editions and copies from editions in other languages.