A skylight and stained-glass ceiling were put up in the central courtyard during the renovation works carried out in the house before the Batlle-Pacheco family moved in. The original design of the stained glass consisted of a large-sized reproduction of the national coat of arms. The current ceiling was put up at the beginning of the twenty-first century, during the house restoration works.

Below the wooden floor is a rainwater tank which was probably built during the construction of the house, before the Batlle-Pacheco family acquired it. The tank is connected to a well located outdoors, next to the south side of the house.

The doors surrounding the courtyard lead to José Batlle and Matilde Pacheco’s bedrooms, the dining room, the living room, and a hall with a stairway to access the basement. Two larger doorways communicate the courtyard with the house’s front and back entrances.

Visitors, especially large committees and groups of political supporters, would gather in this courtyard. A rich carpet covered most of the floor, and the furniture included a rectangular table in the center of the room, several armchairs and decorations. The walls were fitted with 10 tapestries from Atelier Panzani in Paris, depicting outdoor scenes with farm animals and musical instruments.

The sculpture located in the back of the courtyard is a reproduction of a funerary monument carved in Carrara marble by Michelangelo. The original sculpture is featured in Lorenzo de Medicis’ tomb at the Basilica de San Lorenzo, in Florence. It is known as The Thinker and it represents the reflexive and equanimous character of humanism.

The central courtyard is currently used for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.

Traducción del español al inglés: Lic. Carolina Luongo