Museums in Colombia
Colombia as many other metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities worldwide housed their history and cultures in different museums. There are museums that are very special for the culture of any civilization because in these places anyone can find and understand forefathers constructing history. This is the case of Colombia which has two fantastic museums now that in these gorgeous buildings visitors are able to appreciate a lot of pre Colombian history, Spanish culture and Colombian culture. In this text, I am going to talk about the history and the important background of the Gold Museum of Colombia and the National Museum of Colombia as well as all those values they hold.
The Gold Museum of Colombia, was founded when the Bank of Republic decided to sponsored the Museum in order to protect as much as they could the archeological patrimony of Colombia in 1939. For years pre-hispanic items made of shell, wood, pottery and metal has been collected. Al this figures represent the different cultures throughout the indigenous tribes of Colombia with its customs and believes (religion), mainly showing how important was metal (mainly Gold) for them. Such is the case of the “Muisca’s golden raft”, screening perfectly how the heirs to the tribe’s thrown covered totally their bodies in gold and sail to the center of the lagoon in offer to their Gods. The first object exhibit in this collection was the Poporo Quimbaya, which has been exhibit for 65 years by now.
The Gold Museum is located in downtown Bogota at the Carrera 6 No. 15 – 82. Currently Mrs. Clara Isabel Botero is the director of the museum reporting directly to the Bank of the Republic. This fabulous collection is distributed in 4 well organized floors displaying every culture such as the Calima, the Quimbaya, the Muisca, Zenu, Tierradentro, San Augustín, Tolima, Tayrona and Uraba within many others.
The National Museum of Colombia, was established in July 28, 1823. It is the biggest and oldest museum in Colombia. It was built in stones and bricks, with domes, columns and arches simulating the Panopticon fortress, pertaining to be used as a prison with 104 cells; one which served for that purpose from its date of construction until 1946. Two years later it was adapted to be the National Museum of Colombia. From there on, the museum has housed 20.000 archeological and ethnographic pieces and artifacts from the different cultures through Colombian history, from indigenous, to Spanish conquerors, to afro-Colombian cultures as old as 10.000 years B.C to date.
Many artists has contributed with their art works such as masters Debora Arango, Fernando Botero, Enrique Grau, Ignacio Gomez Jaramillo, Santiago Martinez Delgado, alejandor Obregon, Omar Rayo, Andres de Santamaria, and Guillermo Wiedemann are part of the Permanent Collection.
The National Museum of Colombia is located in downtown Bogota Carrera 7 No 28-66. Currently Mr. María Victoria de Robayo is the director reporting directly to the Colombian Ministry of Culture.
Colombia has had across history a lot of culture manifestations. For this reason, it is relevant to take into account that these special amazing pieces are safe guarded as well as exponents united in just two places according to their thematic; where people can have the pleasure to be exposed to the richness of the culture and the history of Colombia. This is the case of these aged and representative museums, the Gold Museum of Colombia and the National Museum of Colombia