Like the other bedrooms in the house, this was a private area, where everyday family life developed. For this reason, visitors were not allowed in these rooms. During the time in which the Batlle-Pacheco family inhabited the house, the Uruguayan society underwent a series of transformations that resulted in a more positive appraisal of private life and, consequently, the distinction between public and family life.

Batlle y Ordóñez’s closest friends and relatives used to point out a dedication to his duties as a politician that sometimes led him to work at nighttime. This could explain the study’s proximity to the bedroom.

The large, north-facing windows ensured adequate lighting all year round and let warm sunlight in during winter months. Wooden shutters and thick curtains were used to prevent excessive brightness.

The furniture, made of mahogany and rosewood, consists of two wardrobes, a dresser, a nightstand and a bed. It is a single bed, since Batlle y Ordóñez slept alone in his bedroom. According to what was customary at the time, upper-class spouses slept in separate rooms, and it was the husband who went to his wife’s bedroom.

The walls were decorated with family portraits, among which were included his wife’s, Matilde Pacheco, his mother’s, Amalia Ordóñez and his father’s, Lorenzo Batlle.

Traducción español a inglés: Lic. Carolina Luongo