Argentina Guide
The Northwest
Museo Histórico del Norte
Opening time: Tues– Fri 9.30am–1.30pm & 3.30–8.30pm, Sat 9.30am–1.30pm & 4.30–8pm, Sun 9.30am–1pm & 4.30–8pm
Price: $2
Address: Caseros 549
The Cabildo houses the highly eclectic Museo Histórico del Norte, whose collections range from coins and eighteenth-century paintings to wooden saints and archeological finds to wonderful horse-drawn carriages parked in the cobbled courtyards, amongst them an elegant nineteenth-century hearse. Of the religious art in the first two rooms, the moving San Pedro de Alcántara, by eighteenth-century Altoperuvian artist Melchor Pérez de Holguín, stands out. Excellent temporary exhibitions, usually of regional art, are staged in the beautifully restored building, but the superb views across the plaza from the upper-storey verandah alone make a visit worthwhile.