The Casa de Nariño (Spanish for House of Nariño) is the official home and principal workplace of the President of Colombia. It houses the main office of the executive branch and is located in the capital city of Bogotá, Colombia. It was dedicated in 1908 after being constructed on the site of the house where Antonio Nariño was born. The design was made by architects Gaston Lelarge, a French-born former pupil of Charles Garnier, and Julián Lombana.
In 1980, the structure was rededicated after the construction of additions. The building also houses works of art and furnishings from different periods of the history of art. Its garden houses the Observatorio Astronómico de Bogotá, designed by the Capuchin friar-architect Domingo de Petrés and built in 1802-03. Historically, the building has been called “Palacio de Nariño” but given Bogota’s close ties to Washington, it is now common to hear “Casa de Nariño”. Both versions are equally acceptable culturally.
History
The grand house, located halfway along the first Carrera Street, was bought by Don Vicente Nariño in 1754 for 5,200 “patacones”. There Vicente Nariño and Catalina Álvarez lived with their children for approximately 30 years, until Nariño died. It was then when his wife and children received it in inheritance according to Nariño's will in 1778.
On April 9, 1765, the third of the eight children of the Nariño family was born, Antonio Nariño y Álvarez, one of the Colombian Independence's national heroes. After the Nariño family, the property was acquired by a number of owners, including the daughter of the former administrator of the Colombian Mint, Doña Juana Inés Prieto y Ricaurte. The first presidential palace from where Simón Bolivar worked after Colombian Independence was the old viceregal palace (Palacio de los Virreyes), located in the west side of Bolivar square of Bogotá in the current position of the Palacio Líevano. On November 16, 1827 one of the most intense earthquakes of the city's history took place, this left the palace partially destroyed. Because of this, Simon Bolívar authorized the purchase of the San Carlos Palace from Juan Manuel Arrubla, and the transfer of the presidential office and the official residence to that property.
On October 23, 1885, President Rafael Núñez, purchased the Nariño house in order to convert it into a presidential palace in observance of its beauty, significance in history, and its proximity to the National Capitol. The presidents stayed there until 1892, during the periods of Rafael Nuñez and Carlos Holguin Mallarino, and under the temporary government of the Generals Eliseo Payán and José María Campo Serrano. Subsequently, the presidential residence was moved again to the San Carlos Palace, while the Nariño house was used as headquarters of the War Ministry, the National Archive, and the National University's faculty of Mathematics. On April 9, 1906, the General Rafael Reyes hired the French architect, Gastón Lelarge, and a local one, Julián Lombana to demolish parts and rebuild the former house. The architects extended the dimensions of the property to Eighth Road and restructured the inner part of the building by creating two levels. They also designed wide halls and improved the façade with carved stones. The complete ornamentation works were carried out by the Swiss sculptor Luigi Ramelli. On July 20, 1908 the government building was officially returned to the Casa de Nariño or Palace of the Carrera (Palacio de la Carrera). During the government of Eduardo Santos the third level and the terrace roof were built, along with a heliport. The government office remained in the Casa de Nariño until 1954, when the General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla commanded it to be moved to the chancellery and the presidency came back to the San Carlos Palace. .
Remodeling
In 1972 an extension and a remodeling of the building were proposed, these changes were made during the presidency of Alfonso López Michelsen, between 1974 and 1978 . the remodeling works kept the seventh Carrera façade in its original form, but the remaining parts of the building were redesigned including the gardens, the National Observatory, the Plaza de Armas (Parades Square), the neoclassical style portico and the west wing that left the palace totally isolated from the other buildings. The restoration works were carried out by the architect Fernando Alsina, who was an auditor of the Ministry of public works. In order to make a complete restoration and extension of the palace it was necessary to demolish some nearby buildings such as the house of the Botanical Expedition, the mail administration and the house of Camilo Torres, among others. The total cost of the works was 250 million Colombian pesos. .