Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One of downtown San José's most striking buildings, this century-old, two-story metal edi-
fice on Parque España's western edge was prefabricated in Belgium, then shipped piece by
piece to San José. Today it functions as a school and local landmark.
Casa Amarilla NOTABLE BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av 7 btwn Calles 11 & 13)
On Parque España's northeast corner, this elegant colonial-style yellow mansion (closed to
the public) houses the ministry of foreign affairs. The ceiba tree in front was planted by
John F Kennedy during his 1963 visit to Costa Rica. If you walk around to the property's
northeast corner, you can see a graffiti-covered slab of the Berlin Wall standing in the rear
garden.
TEOR/éTica GALLERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ;
2221-1051; www.teoretica.org ; cnr Calle 7 & Av 11;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri, to
7pm Wed, 10am-4pm Sat)
This contemporary-art museum is the bricks-and-mortar gathering space for the TEOR/
éTica Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Central American art and culture.
Housed in a pair of vintage mansions across the street from one another, each of its elegant
rooms exhibits cutting-edge works by established and emerging figures from Latin Amer-
ica and the world.
Parque Nacional PARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Avs 1 & 3 btwn Calles 15 & 19)
One of San José's nicest green spaces, this shady spot lures retirees out to read newspapers
and young couples to smooch coyly on concrete benches. At its center is the Monumento
Nacional, a dramatic 1953 statue that depicts the Central American nations driving out
American filibuster William Walker. The park is dotted with myriad monuments devoted
to Latin American historical figures, including Cuban poet, essayist and revolutionary José
Martí, Mexican independence figure Miguel Hidalgo and 18th-century Venezuelan human-
ist Andrés Bello.
Across the street, to the south, stands the Asamblea Legislativa (Legislative Assembly;
MAP GOOGLE MAP ) , which also bears an important statue: this one a depiction of Juan
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