Palacio de López

La Encarnación, Paraguay

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Palacio de los López, the neoclassical government palace in central Asunción, Paraguay, overlooks Asunción Bay and serves as the workplace of the President of Paraguay, though not as a presidential residence. Built by order of Carlos Antonio López, the nation's first constitutionally titled president, the palace was intended to house his son and heir, General Francisco Solano López, from whom it takes its name. Construction began in 1857 under English architect Alonso Taylor and was substantially completed by 1867, but the War of the Triple Alliance devastated the structure; Brazilian and Argentine forces sacked Asunción in January 1869, damaging the exterior and looting its contents, and occupied the building for seven years, leaving it derelict. Restoration efforts began under President Juan Gualberto González in 1890, though a coup interrupted progress. Juan Bautista Egusquiza completed the work in 1894 and became the first head of state to fully establish his administration there. The palace served as the official presidential residence until 1942, when President Higinio Morínigo moved the residence to Mburuvicha Róga by decree, though the palace remained the seat of government.