QUITO’S CULTURAL MUSEUMS - 1 DAY

The city of Quito is known as an “Art Sanctuary” for having an abundance of Colonial treasures including paintings, sculptures and carvings. The excellent work of these collections combine the Renaissance European art with the artistic feeling of the natives and mestizos. The Spanish conquerors began the construction of the churches and convents after the Conquest. The Roman Catholic Church became the centre of religious instruction and promotion of art, which is now on display in different museums.

Itinerary

We start our tour with MUSEO DE LA CIUDAD (the City Museum). This historic building dates back to the 16th Century. From 1565 to 1973, it was the Hospital of Mecry and Charity, and later became the San Juan de Dios Hospital. Nowadays it houses the Museo de la Ciudad. Different rooms depict the day-to-day life of the city, from before the arrival of the Spanish, to the present day. Through figures, maps, utensils and ceramics, visitors can learn how the traditions, customs and ways of living in Quito have changed and evolved over time.

Afterwards we will head on to MUSEO DEL BANCO CENTRAL (Central Bank Museum). This impressive museum houses a substantial collection of pre-Columbian, colonial art in one wing, and contemporary art in the other. It is an ideal museum to get an overall picture of the history of Ecuador, from the very first inhabitants, throughout the conquest, colonial and republican eras, up to the contemporary period. The exhibit includes ancient pieces, sculptures, paintings, utensils and all sorts of objects and artwork from the first Ecuadorian settlers. The museum is easily reached, as it is located between two of the city's principal streets, in the central northern part of the city.

Finally, after lunch we will take a trip to MUSEO DE GUAYASAMÍN (the Guayasamin Museum) located in a northern residential part of the city. This spacious building comprises the Casa, Fundacion Museo Oswaldo Guayasamin a tribute to the best known Ecuadorian artist of modern times. His work is a flag-bearer of social realism that has been around the globe. The museum brings together several stages of his artistic career. A great portion of his pictorial work can be found here, including one of the most ambitious works in the world - the Capilla del Hombre, a temple which portrays the different facets of the tragedy of the Latin American nation since the arrival of the Spanish in America. Currently, this work is still considered to be in process, as the artist was still working on it when he died in 1999.

As an optional activity and if we have time we can visit an art gallery.

Lunch included.

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