Montevideo Cabildo (Old Montevideo City Hall), Montevideo

The Montevideo City Hall was originally conceived as the city’s main administrative and judicial center. The building is a two-story colonial structure, typical of late Spanish colonial civic architecture.

Before its construction, Montevideo’s municipal council met in the private residence of Captain Pedro Gronardo. In 1737, the decision was made to erect a dedicated headquarters for the City Hall. However, due to prolonged debates, design changes, and interruptions linked to the city’s rapid development in the late 18th century, construction was repeatedly delayed. Work on the present building finally began in 1804, and it became operational in the early 19th century.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the City Hall was the setting for many decisive political, judicial, and social events. On July 18, 1830, Uruguay’s first Constitution was signed in one of its chambers. At different moments, the building served as the seat of the national legislature and also functioned as a prison.

After the inauguration of the Legislative Palace in 1925, which became the permanent home of Uruguay’s Parliament, the Cabildo ceased to function as a legislative space. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later occupied the building. In 1939, it became the backdrop for intense diplomatic negotiations following the arrival of the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee.

In the 1950s, the building returned to municipal administration and was officially converted into a museum in September 1958. Today, it is known as the Cabildo Historical Museum. Its collections include antiques, paintings, historical documents, period costumes, and objects related to Montevideo’s civic life.