Sarmiento Museum - Natal Home

Sarmiento 21 South
Tel. 0264-4224603
Summer timetable: open Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m. and from 3 to 8p.m.; Mondays and Saturdays from 8:30a.m. to 1:30p.m.
Winter timetable: open Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays from 9a.m. to 7p.m. and Mondays and Saturdays from 9a.m. to 2p.m.

This house was declared a National Historical Monument since it was here that Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (Argentine writer, educator, and political leader: president 1868-74) was born on February 15, 1811. Still standing in the courtyard is the fig tree, whose roots are over 200 years old, under which Doña Paula Albarracín (Sarmiento´s mother) worked on her loom, which is on exhibition in a special hall inside the house. Also on display is the bedroom set used by Sarmiento while he was living in Buenos Aires. Exhibits include six issues of El Zonda, the newspaper founded by Sarmiento, and a page of the daily El Censor of September 14, 1888, that includes the obituary of our national hero. The museum also harbors pieces of furniture and items that Sarmiento used while he held office as President of the Nation and Governor of San Juan. Other exhibits include medals minted in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his birth and death. The museum also houses a public library specializing in regional history and is the venue for different cultural activities.

San Juan
San Juan, capital of the province of San Juan, was shaken by an earthquake in 1944 and was rebuilt on a modern design with a large number of parks and promenades. It lies 1,050km. away from the city of Buenos Aires along national routes No.7 (up to the city of San Luis) and 147. Another alternative is to travel up to Mendoza and then take route No.40 up to San Juan. The city harbors the natal homes of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Fray Justo Santa María de Oro. The province has important tourist attractions, the most traditional of which is known as the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley).