Evita Fine Arts Museum, Cordoba (must see)

The Evita Fine Arts Museum is one of the main art museums in the area, set inside a former private palace completed in 1919. Built on a large scale, the residence had more than 60 rooms, 19 bathrooms, and four levels. Its French academic and neoclassical design includes carved stonework, ironwork, grand staircases, and gardens planned by Carlos Thays.

Inside, the building keeps many signs of its original luxury. One of its best-known spaces was the Dormitorio Imperio, or Imperial Bedroom, with furniture made in Paris by Krieger and modeled on pieces associated with Napoleon Bonaparte. The entrance gate, cast by the French foundry Val d’Osne, reflects a Louis XIV-inspired style. Inside, the central hall rises through several levels, with a ceiling over 20 meters high.

The museum opened to the public in 2007 after the provincial government acquired and adapted the building for cultural use. It opened in 2007 as the Ferreyra Palace Fine Arts Museum, but was soon renamed after Eva “Evita” Perón, a change that sparked local debate. Its collection includes Argentine artists such as Emilio Caraffa, Fernando Fader, Emilio Pettoruti, and Lino Enea Spilimbergo, along with works linked to Goya, Picasso, Courbet, and Sorolla.

The visit also includes modern contrasts added during the renovation, including contemporary exhibition spaces and unusual design elements that stand apart from the French-style interiors. A key work is Manos Anónimas by Carlos Alonso, which reflects on torture and state violence during Argentina’s 1976–1983 dictatorship. The museum also shows how a former elite residence became a public cultural space.