Banco de la República

The Bank of the Republic, in Montevideo

The seat of the Bank of the Republic is one of the most imposing monuments of the ciudad vieja of Montevideo, founded in 1896 and installed in a majestic building. The Montevideo audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this great state banking institution, born in response to the financial crisis of 1890, symbol of the economic solidity of Uruguay.

The great building of the state institution

The Zabala street is lined with austere and imposing buildings, in the image of the one that stands, gigantic, in front of you: it is a historic monument of Montevideo and one of the most representative of the old town, the seat of the Bank of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay. This institution, today the most important state bank of the country, was founded in 1896. Its creation was one of the consequences of the panic of 1890, a serious economic crisis that first struck Argentina before spreading throughout the region of the Rio de la Plata, ruining banks and savers. To protect itself against such shocks and to affirm its financial sovereignty, Uruguay decided to create its own state bank, guarantor of monetary stability and credit. It was installed in an already existing building, that was then considerably enlarged and embellished at the beginning of the twentieth century, taking the form of a monumental palace of neoclassical and eclectic style, with an imposing façade rhythmed by columns, pediments and domes. Its mass and its solemnity embody the power and the confidence that a great financial institution intends to inspire. A witness of the economic history of Uruguay and of its emancipation, this building counts among the most remarkable of the ciudad vieja. A banking monument and a symbol of stability, the Bank of the Republic is a fine stop of the discovery of Montevideo.

What to see

You admire one of the most imposing buildings of the ciudad vieja, seat of the Bank of the Republic, main state bank of the country, founded in 1896 in response to the financial crisis of 1890; enlarged at the beginning of the twentieth century into a monumental palace of neoclassical and eclectic style, with a façade rhythmed by columns, pediments and domes, it symbolises the economic stability of Uruguay. The Bank of the Republic is a monument of Montevideo. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The seat of the Bank of the Republic lies on Zabala street, in the heart of the ciudad vieja of Montevideo, reachable on foot. It is an institutional building in activity whose façade you admire above all from the street; the interior access follows the conditions of the bank, which vary. You discover it during a walk in the old town.

Why was the Bank of the Republic of Montevideo created?

In response to the panic of 1890, a serious economic crisis that started in Argentina and struck the whole region of the Rio de la Plata; to affirm its financial sovereignty and guarantee monetary stability, Uruguay created in 1896 its own state bank, installed in a monumental palace of neoclassical and eclectic style, one of the most imposing buildings of the ciudad vieja.

Where is the Bank of the Republic in Montevideo?

On Zabala street, in the heart of the ciudad vieja of Montevideo, in Uruguay.