Argentine history from the 16th through the 19th centuries comes to life in the former Lezama family home. The expansive Italian-style mansion houses 30 rooms with items saved from Jesuit missions, paintings illustrating clashes between the Spaniards and the Indians, and relics from the War of Independence against Spain. The focal point of the museum's collection is artist Cándido López's series of captivating scenes of the war against Paraguay in the 1870s. The museum was renovated for the 2010 Bicentennial celebration, its exhibit spaces reorganized and expanded. It also includes an interesting collection of art objects related to African slaves in Argentina and their emancipation. Once close to a majority in Buenos Aires, the Afro-Argentine population has largely disappeared due to the Paraguay War in the 1860s, yellow fever, and other unfortunate historical events, but their influence remains in tango and Carnaval.