"The Castillo de la Glorieta is a national monument of Bolivia located on the outskirts of the city of Sucre, the capital of the country. It was the seat of the principality of La Glorieta, made up of Clotilde Urioste and Francisco Argandoña Revilla, both princes of La Glorieta. It was named a National Monument on August 27, 1970.
History
The Universal Exposition in Paris that was held in 1889 was the source of inspiration for the Argandoña-Urioste couple to decide on the design of their future residence in Bolivia. In 1897 the sumptuous building of La Glorieta was finished.
Currently, the Castillo de La Glorieta constitutes a tourist attraction in the city of Sucre, which constantly requires care and actions to recover the furniture, and the reconstruction of structures that were part of the gardens. Over the years many acres of gardens have been lost since the castle passed into military hands in the second half of the 20th century.
Style
The building was designed by the Swiss architect Antonio Camponovo, then based in Argentina. The structure was intended to convey the opulence and sophistication of the royal couple, however the mix of styles for many was somewhat ridiculous and misaligned. This fusion abstracts features from Moorish to Chinese, from Russian to Byzantine, and from Romanesque to Gothic.
The prince's tower has an Arab style both in shape and in dome, it is 45 meters high and has 108 steps. The story goes that the prince liked to go up at night and appreciate the stars.
The princess tower is in Byzantine style, while its dome is in Russian style. It is 30 meters high and has 80-step stone steps.
The Big Ben replica tower is part of the castle chapel, stands 25 meters high and is a small replica of London's Big Ben."