Palacio Quemado


The Bolivian Palace of Government, better known as Palacio Quemado, is the official residence of the President of Bolivia. It is located in downtown La Paz on Plaza Murillo, next to the La Paz Cathedral and across from the Bolivian legislature.
Its nickname originates from the fact that it was set aflame and burned almost to the ground during an uprising in 1875. It has since been rebuilt and redecorated a number of times, but the name stuck.

History

The Palacio Quemado earned its nickname of the "Burnt Palace" in 1875, when it was badly damaged during a violent revolution. Rebels, who opposed then-President Tomás Frías Ametller, set the palace alight after they failed to storm it.
In front of the Palacio Quemado is the bust of former President Gualberto Villarroel, who was dragged into the plaza by an angry mob and hanged from a lamppost in 1946.

Buildings

The buildings were completed in 1853.