Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
reliquary said to contain a segment of the saint's leg. Although originally built in 1789, a lot
of the church structure visible today dates from the late 1950s, having suffered an earthquake
in 1802 and a major fire in 1958.
Museo Belisario Porras
Parque Belisario Porras • Tues-Sat 8.30am-3.30pm, Sun 8am-noon • $1 • 994 6326
Diagonally across the square from the church the neat, red-tiled
Museo Belisario Porras
cel-
ebrates the life of Panama's most illustrious president in the house of his birth. Ironically its
most striking exhibit is the Napoleonic-size tomb intended to house Porras' remains, which
lies empty as family members wrangle over whether the bones should be moved from the
prestigious Cementerio Amador in Panama City, where they are currently interred. Walls in
the single display room are plastered with faded photos, certificates and memorabilia. These
only partly succeed in conveying (in Spanish) the extent of his many achievements (see
The
War of the Thousand Days
)
. On one famous occasion the statesman's bust, which stands out-
side the museum, was stolen and discarded in a latrine. On hearing the news, Porras wryly
remarked: “
Mis enemigos, no pudiendo llegar hasta mí, mi han hecho descender hasta ellos
”
(“Since my enemies cannot reach me, they have dragged me down to their level”).
