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With Its 10,000
years history and 450 years of abundant Indian and immigrant culture
from four continents. Panama offers a variety of museums highlighting
all the aspects of it's colorful historic past.
CENTRAL PANAMA
- PANAMA CITY
Panama City has several excellent museums, all established to
bring the rich past closer. All are open from Tuesdays through Sundays,
except holidays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a variable schedule on
weekends.
1. Religious Colonial Art Museum
Built In 1756, this museum Is located in one old chapel of the Church
and Convent of Santo Domingo, between 3rd Street and A Avenue in the
heart of the colonial part of town. It has an Impressive collection
of paintings made on cloth and leather and polycromed carvings from
Latin America and from local artists. There are also sacred artifacts
made of silver and bone, a beautiful gold altar, and a colonial spiral
staircase. A visit to the chapel is complemented by a visit to the Church
and Convent where you can see the 'arm chato', the interior patio and
the cloister. The convent, recently restored, has a small museum with
artifacts of archaeological digs and historical engravings.
2. Natural Science Museum
Located on Cuba Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets, in the old National
Museum, the Natural Science Museum has exhibits of the natural geology,
paleontology, mammals, reptiles and other national flora and fauna.
Also there is a room dedicated to African and Asian fauna, specially
the tiger, lion and antelope.
3. History Museum of Panama
Located in the Municipal Palace where the office of the Panamenian History
Academy are also located, there are four rooms displaying the history
of Panama to date, in three periods - colonial, union with Colombia
and Republican and including highlights of the treaty between the United
States and Panama for the construction of the Panama Canal.
4. Reina Torres de Arauz Museum
Archaeology is highlighted, along with anthropology, in four separate
rooms that display gold and historical artifacts that amply demonstrate
the rich cultural heritage of Panama.
5. Afro-Antillian Museum
Located in the restored Christian Old Mission Building at 24th West
Street and Justo Arosemena Avenue, here are fine photographs, artistic
and domestic objeticts from the Afro-Antillian group who helped construct
the Panama Canal. Artifacts from Martinique, Haiti and Jamaica are also
displayed.
6. Contemporary Art Museum
It is located on Calle San Blas in the district of Ancon. It has a permanent
exposition hall, and two temporals, where they exhibit oil paints, fresh
water paints, crayons, tints and engraving or national and foreign artists.
This museum has in his backside an art workshop where they do engraving
and restauration jobs. Here you can buy the work that are expose and
appreciate how the artists work on the workshop.
7. National Bank Museum
Located on 34th Street and Cuba Avenue, this museum is dedicated to
the coins and stamps collections from the 16th century to present day
and Includes coins and paper bills, metalic coins and other financial
papers.
8. Home of the Soldier of The Independence
Located in the promenade of "Esteban Huertas", is the center commemorating
those soldiers who gave their lives for the Independence of the Republic.
9. The Andina Gallery (The Andina Gallery reafirms the traditional values
of popular art, which are to coordinate the multisectoral activities;
enable the cultural education of popular art; promote cultural interchange
and establish systems for multisectoral defense of the patrimony.
INTERIOR OF
PANAMA MUSEUMS
The collections of these eight museums are modest but interesting.
1. Archaelogical Park of 'El Caņo' Located in the town of El
Caņo, in the province of Cocle, here is a sample of the impressive Cocle
Indian Culture. Here are burial site and tombs, ornate columns at the
ceremonial site, burdial sitle of the 'cacique' and a typical hut that
represents the home of the Indians with domestic animal and utensils
used at the time of the arrival of the Spanish.
2. History and Panamenian Tradition Museum This museum consists
of four restored homes with a collection of archaeology, history, colonial
religious art and ethnology of the region, plus a home furnished with
20th century furniture. To complement this museum, visit the artisan
market at Penonome, one of the best in the country with items of straw,
wood, rock, rope and other materials.
3. Religious Colonial Art of Santo Domingo de Parita Museum Located
in the chapel of the church of Santo Domingo de Parka, In the province
of Herrera with an excellent collection of wood carvings and silver
artifacts from the colonial period and from the 18th century. The church
has been declared a Historic national Monument.
4. The Herrera Museum Located on Manuel Maria Correa Street and
Julio Arjona Avenue, its collections takes the visitor to the pre-historic
period of the central region of the country and the most important archaelogical
sites of 'Sarigua' and 'Monagrillo'. There are also exhibits from the
history of the province, the regional culture of folkloric music and
dances.
5. Belisario Porras Museum This museum highlights the life of
Dr. Belisario Porras, President of the Republic of Panama three times,
with pictures, personal moments and correspondence.
6. Manuel F. Zarate Museum Located in a restored typical home
in Guarare, province of Los Santos, this museum displays a personal
collection of profesor Zarate, a linked to national folklore. Here are
'polleras' (the typical costume of Panama), masks of 'diablicos' (devil's
masks), musical instruments and notes on the festival of 'La Mejorana'.
7. The Nationality Museum Located in the Villa of Los Santos,
it occupies the old home of the 'cabildo' of Los Santos, and displays
historic artifacts related to the independence of Panama from Spain,
which was declared on November 10th, 1821 and again in Panama City on
November 28, 1821. The highlight is a painting depicting this historic
period.
8. The History and Art of Jose de Obaldia Museum It is located
in the Bolivar neighborhood, in the old part of the city of David, on
First Avenue East in home number 57. This museum has archaeological
artifacts from the Occidental region of the country, historic material,
colonial religious art and artifacts from the everyday life of Obaldia
Family. The house, which has been restored, has one room, kitchen, and
furniture from the period and a garden with medicinal plants used in
the old days.
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