Adjacent to the Old Cathedral, the 1935
"Palacio Nacional de la Cultura" houses the "Museo
Nacional." The timeline starts only 500 million years ago,
as Nicaragua is one of the newest places on earth, and takes
visitors through the formation of the lakes and volcanoes -
not to mention gold mines - before getting to pre-Columbian
statuary and one of the best pottery collections in the
country, all well signed and explained. Other exhibits whiz
through the Spanish colonial period before landing in the
Sandino, then Sandinista, eras. Above the main staircase is
a mural of revolutionary movements in the Americas by
Mexican artist Arnold Belkin, and there's also a room
tracing 500 years of art (most from the 1970s).
The Barrio Planta Project is an education
initiative created to empower low-income children and adults
living in Nicaragua. Through supplementary schooling with an
emphasis on English as a Second Language and the creative
arts, BPP provides means for international communication and
exposure to enriching cultural activities that enhance
confidence and facilitate community.