The Palace of the Exhibition building that houses the Museo de Arte de Lima -
MALI, is one of the finest examples of eclectic architecture in Lima. Conceived
and built to host the first majorpublic display in our country, the "Great
Exhibition of Arts, Science and Industry", held on the occasion of the fiftieth
anniversary of independence, easily fits the museum functionsas was built
expressly for exhibition purposes.
It was builtbetween 1870 and 1871 during the government of Jose Balta.It is a
precursor building in Latin America, it is one of the mostimportant early works
done with the new technique ofconstruction in iron. Designed in the neo-Renaissance
style, design and construction is due to the Italian architect AntonioLeonardi.
The fabrication of the columns, made in iron and imported from Europe, the house
is attributed to Eiffel.Surrounded by statues, gardens and zoo, the palace was
the heart of one of the most important urban projects of the last century,
following the example of European expositions.
