Casa de la Libertad

Lonely Planet review

For a dose of local history, it's hard to beat this house where the Bolivian declaration of independence was signed on August 6, 1825 - it's both a national memorial and the symbolic heart of the nation. The first score of Bolivian congresses were held in the Salón de la Independencia, originally a Jesuit chapel; doctoral candidates were also examined here.

Behind the pulpit hang portraits of Simón Bolívar, Hugo Ballivián and Antonio José de Sucre. General Bolívar claimed that this portrait, by Peruvian artist José Gil de Castro, was the most lifelike representation ever done of him. The charter of independence takes pride of place, mounted on a granite plinth. A fine artesonado (inlaid wooden) ceiling and elaborate choir stalls are also noteworthy. The museum also includes portraits of presidents, military decorations, war- and independence-related art and relics. The most memorable is a huge wooden bust of Bolívar carved by artist and musician Mauro Núñez. Guided tours are available in English, French, German or Spanish.