Together with the Ortiz Gurdian gallery in Leon, the Museo San Francisco in Granada is one of the two best museums in Nicaragua and highly recommended.
Also commonly known as the Museo del Convento de San Francisco, this is something of a double-header as a visitor attraction.
The beautiful church of San Francisco, one of the oldest in Granada (dating back to the 16th century, although the structure you see today dates back to the late 19th century), still functions as a place of worship, is free to visit and well worth your time.
Adjoining the church is the old monastery (convento is the Spanish word for a monastery) which now serves as an excellent museum.
Quite aside from the exhibits, half of the charm of the Museo San Francisco is its beautiful setting and graceful, monastic architecture, specifically its elegant, open air cloister.
In terms of the exhibits, the main part of the museum houses a collection of modern and primitive art and sculpture, some of it religious in theme, some not.
However, the Museo San Francisco is principally famous for its collection of giant Zapatera statues that are lined up in avenue formation in the gardens at the back of the museum.
These statues take their name from the nearby island of Zapatera where they were discovered in the 1880s.
Although relatively little is known about the Pre-Columbian people that inhabited the region, it is widely assumed that the entire island of Zapatera held some form of religious / ritual significance, rather than a place where people lived.
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Beyond The Ordinary arrange fully bonded, tailor made holidays and tours to Nicaragua. Contact one of our experts on 01580 764796, email travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk or contact us via our website. |
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Quite apart from the varied exhibits, the Museo San Francisco receives surprisingly few visitors and is therefore, for the most part, a wonderfully peaceful place to sit and soak up some colonial atmosphere.
Our suggestion is always to book a morning walking tour of Granada, break for lunch and then visit the museum in the afternoon.
For holiday ideas that include Granada, we suggest visiting our Itineraries page while, for hotels in Granada, please visit our Accommodation page.
