Veraguas Regional Museum

Historical museum located in the city of Santiago de Veraguas in western Panama, dedicated to show ethnographic objects of different communities that inhabit the province as is Ngäbe and Buglé, in addition to liturgical elements created in religious sites of the province during Panama was part of Nueva Granada.

Veraguas Regional Museum
Photo by Eleonora Vendetta
Type:	Historical Museum
Country:	Panama
Establishment:	1992

The Veraguas Regional Museum (Spanish: Museo Regional de Veraguas) is a historical museum located in the city of Santiago de Veraguas in western Panama, dedicated to show ethnographic objects of different communities that inhabit the province as is Ngäbe and Buglé, in addition to liturgical elements created in religious sites of the province during Panama was part of Nueva Granada.

History

The construction of the museum dates back to 1855, the building has a design similar to other old buildings in the province of Santiago, where it is characterized by having an internal courtyard.^[1] The building where the museum is now located was originally used as a police house and prison when Panama was part of Colombia.^[2]

The museum was created in 1992 under the encouragement of the Veraguas Archaeological Society, an organization created in 1964, additionally the museum project received support from the National Institute of Culture (INAC in its Spanish acronym).^[3]

Collections

After the rehabilitation of the structure of the building in 1995, an archaeological room was integrated where archaeological pieces, petroglyphs, gold and silverware and ceramics of the province were stored.^[4]

The museum has received archaeological contributions from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute following the Santa Maria Project.^[5] The museum presents collections of religious art developed in the colonial era including liturgical elements and documents of that period of the history of Panama, additionally the museum also presents art and objects used in religious ceremonies of different indigenous communities of the country.^[6]

Gallery

Pottery made from calabash materials developed particularly in the mountainous area of the Santa Fe National Park located in the north of the Veraguas Province. (2023) - Photo by Elida Muñz

Traditional hats of the province, the one on the left is a Musinga Hat used in rural areas of the District of Cañanzas to protect from the sun and the one on the right is a hat made of palm belonging to the Buglé Ethnic group in the District of Santa Fé. (2023) - Photo by Elida Muñz

References

1. Flor. (2019). Museo Regional de Veraguas—Panama. Panamá50 (in Spanish)

2. Woods, S. (2009). Panama. Bradt Travel Guides. (Page 193)

3. Caballero, V. (2015). Origen del Patronato Procultura en Veraguas. La Estrella de Panamá. (in Spanish)

4. Caballero, V. (2017-10-17). Sala de historia y arte religioso. La Prensa Panamá. (in Spanish)

5. Villar, V. (2022-03-17). Maravillas De Veraguas Esperan A Los Visitantes Intrépidos. La Web de la Salud. (in Spanish)

6. La Sala de Arte Religioso en el Museo de Veraguas. (2013). La Estrella de Panamá. (in Spanish)