Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The hollow shell of Managua's Old Cathedral remains Managua's most poignant meta-
phor, shattered by the 1972 earthquake and, despite promises, never restored. Though still
beautiful and serene, attended by stone angels and dappled in golden light, it is empty and
off-limits; the cathedral without a heart, in the city without a center.
Palacio de la Cultura y Biblioteca Nacional
(admission US$2; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat & Sun )
Adjacent to the cathedral, the
8am-5pm)
. The timeline starts only 500 million years ago, as Nicaragua is one of the new-
est places on earth, and takes visitors through the formation of the lakes and volcanoes -
not to mention gold mines - before getting to pre-Columbian statuary and one of the best
pottery collections in the country, all well signed and explained.
Other exhibits whiz through the Spanish-colonial period before landing in the Sandino,
then the Sandinista, eras. Above the main staircase is a mural of revolutionary movements
in the Americas by Mexican artist Arnold Belkin, and there's also a room tracing 500
years of art (most from the 1970s). Admission includes a 30-minute guided tour in Span-
ish.
MUSEUM
Casa del Pueblo
This was rebuilt during the Alemán years with the help of the Taiwanese government as
offices for the president, but is now home to the controversial Consejos de Poder Ci-
udadanoCPCs (CPCs).
BUILDING
Monumento a Rubén Darío
On the lake side of Plaza de la Revolución, this monument was refurbished after the ori-
ginal 1933 statue fell into graffitied disrepair. A group of artists did a guerrilla installation,
veiling the city's shame from public view and demanding poetic justice. In 1998 the cash-
strapped government bowed to public opinion and, with Texaco Oil's help, restored the
likeness of Nicaragua's favorite son.
MONUMENT
Centro Cultural Managua
OFFLINE MAP
CULTURAL BUILDING
GOOGLE MAP