The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, located in San José, is housed in the historic Cuartel Bellavista, a fortress-like structure with a rich and complex history. The construction of the Cuartel began in 1917 under the regime of Federico Tinoco, who sought to strengthen the military institution after his coup d’état. The building served as military barracks for decades, and its exterior walls still bear bullet holes from Costa Rica‘s 1948 civil war. Following the abolition of the army by José Figueres Ferrer in 1948, the Cuartel Bellavista was symbolically transformed into the National Museum in 1950, marking a significant shift from military to cultural purposes.
Today, visitors entering the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica are greeted by a unique and serene experience as they pass through a butterfly garden. This garden, home to various native butterfly species, serves as a striking contrast to the building’s military past, symbolizing Costa Rica‘s commitment to nature and peace. Inside, the museum offers a comprehensive journey through the country’s geological, archaeological, colonial, and modern history, featuring notable collections of pre-Columbian artifacts.
One of the museum’s most intriguing exhibits focuses on the mysterious stone spheres of Costa Rica, known locally as ‘bolas de piedra‘. These perfectly rounded petrospheres, found primarily in the Diquís Delta region, are attributed to the extinct Diquís culture and date back to the Aguas Buenas Period (300-800 CE) and Chiriquí Period (800-1550 CE). The museum showcases these enigmatic spheres, which were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2014, and provides insights into their possible astronomical significance and the advanced stone-working techniques of the pre-Columbian societies that created them.
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
Cuartel Bellavista
San José
Costa Rica
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