Museums & Attractions

House of Independence Museum

The house where Paraguay's independence was planned in 1811

Asunción, Capital

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House of Independence Museum

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The Casa de la Independencia Museum is one of the most historically significant sites in Paraguay and all of South America. Built around 1772 by Spanish merchant Juan Antonio Martínez de Zavala, this colonial mansion was where Paraguayan patriots secretly met to plan the country's emancipation from Spanish rule. Independence was declared on May 14–15, 1811, and this house was the epicenter of that revolutionary process. Inaugurated as a museum in 1965, the building preserves five rooms and a large hall arranged around a central courtyard, with a collection of colonial furniture, original historical documents, household utensils, period weapons and portraits of the heroes of Paraguayan independence. The street in front of the house was named '14 de Mayo' by decree of Carlos Antonio López in 1849, as a permanent tribute to the historic event. For the foreign visitor, this house is the ideal starting point for understanding the origins of the Paraguayan nation. Admission is free.