Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean

Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean

Cuba - Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa (Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa)

The museum is lodged in a colonial mansion built in 1831, typical of the historic centre of the city, today declared National Monument. The institution houses a collection of items representative of popular religiosity of strong African influence, concretized with Catholic saints and liturgy, and it is a centre that promotes the oral cultural traditions of the population.  

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The centre is one of the most important museums in the city of Havana and a cultural institution of reference in the municipality. It was the first museum in the country to exhibit ethnological on religious ethnology of African origin.


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Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa . Museum facade . Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Offerings to Santería Orichas. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Santería altar . Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Babalawo. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Offerings to Santería Orichas. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. General view of exhibit. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Traditional Oricha costumes . Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Representation of Orichas: Ochún. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Representation of Orichas: Obatalá. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa
Municipal Museum of Guanabacoa. Santería mat. Photo: Museum of Guanabacoa

Other data of interest

Cuba

Founding Date

1964 July 26

Classification

Protection of Cultural Heritage

Address

Martí No 108 e/ Versalles y San Antonio. Guanabacoa

Telephone Numbers

(53) 77 97 9117 y 77 97 2078

Person in charge

Lourdes Millet Ramos - Director

Other members of the Executive

Alina Atencio Rosabal. Main Specialist of the Museum’s Inventories.

Alina Díaz Castillo. Manager.

E-mail

musgbcoa@cubarte.cult.cu

Objectives of the institution

The institution’s objectives are to preserve its collections, identifying, protecting and disseminating the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the municipality, including traditional popular culture, providing a cultural programme consistent with its terms of reference.

Heritage documents under its protection

-    Public Records from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
-    Other documents from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
-    Periodical publications, magazines and others, from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
-    Ethnological collections related to African religions.

This documentation is for the use of scholars, students, historians, researchers and others.