Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of
Panamá Viejo
. Three of its bells were also recovered from its ruined predecessor, and re-
putedly owe their distinctive tone to a gold ring thrown by Queen Isabella I of Spain into the
molten metal from which they were cast. The cathedral's interior is tatty in places, though the
large altarpiece carved from seven types of Italian marble is suitably imposing. To its right
lies a trapdoor marking the entrance to tunnels - not open to visitors - designed as escape
routes, connecting the cathedral to the churches of La Merced and San José.
Museo de Historia de Panamá
Palacio Municipal, Plaza de la Catedral • Mon-Fri 8.30am-3.30pm • $1 • 228 6231
Southeast of the cathedral is the
Palacio Municipal
, a splendid example of Neoclassical ar-
chitecture. Originally constructed in 1910 on the site of the former city hall, its ground floor
houses the
Museo de Historia de Panamá
, which offers a cursory introduction to Panamani-
an history, focusing on symbols of independence such as the national flag, the national an-
them and the coat of arms, alongside an eclectic mixture of maps and artefacts, with explan-
ations in Spanish. Despite some recent interactive additions, it will probably only appeal to
history buffs. The languorous nude reclining in the entrance hall represents Panama bathing
in the waters of the two oceans.
Museo del Canal Interoceánico
Plaza de la Catedral • Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • $2; audioguides in English or Spanish $3 extra •
211 1649,
Housed in a three-storey French colonial building, complete with mansard roof and shutters,
the excellent
Museo del Canal Interoceánico
offers a comprehensive account of both the
French
and US endeavours to build a canal across the isthmus, and of the protracted handover
of the
canal
to Panama's control (see
Omar Torrijos and the new canal treaty
).
The highly polished marble entrance hall bears witness to the museum's former life as the
city's grandest hotel. The bulk of the exhibition lies on the
second floor
, expounding the his-
tory of the transisthmian route, from the first Spanish attempt to find a passage to Asia to the
contemporary management of the canal. Although the museum is rather text-heavy (in Span-
ish - the most conspicuous sign in English asks visitors to refrain from sitting on an original
Panama Railroad waiting-room bench), there are plenty of photographs, video montages and
maps offering striking comparisons between the different working conditions of the French
and US canal eras which bring to life the enormity of the achievements.
The
third floor
displays cover the apartheid living conditions of gold and silver roll em-
ployees (see
The canal
), more information and artefacts from the US canal drama and a bar-
rage of press reports on the deteriorating Panamanian-US relations that eventually led to the
handover of the canal. The museum has wheelchair access and a small
shop
selling modern
and original canal memorabilia. Take a sweater as the air conditioning is fierce.
