The Juan Santamaría Historic Museum

The right place to get acquainted with or relive the history of the National War
By Franco Cartín

Also known as “Mango Land”, Alajuela is a province, but more importantly it is the name of a city, one of the biggest, most prosperous and diverse one’s of the country. In this city you find the most important international airport of the country: Juan Santamaría. The province of Alajuela covers a huge area, from the border with Nicaragua in the north at the height of Los Chiles and Upala, to the south, very close to San José and Heredia, where it constitutes part of the Central Valley.

Alajuela in the 19th century

If this beautiful province is home to thousands of brave and willful alajuelans, how would Alajuela have been in the days of march 1856, when hundreds of men and women left in order to defend their country, honor and home, against the pirates from the south, who came in search of fortune, power and domination. With a little imagination you will be able to understand the conditions in which these men and women left to support the National War. Called upon by chief of state Juan Mora Porras, they took off by foot, armed with rifles, confronting the north american invaders. Most of them had never even left their town.This 11th of April, the whole country will remember, once more, the heroic deeds of the costa rican army. However, this year it’s not just another commemoration, it has been 150 years ago that the war has profoundly changed the social and political landscape of Central America.

Who was Juan Santamaría?

Juan Santamaría is the costa rican national hero. A soldier and an outstanding symbol for the costa rican people. Before the invasion of pirates in Nicaragua caused a lot of commotion, Juan Santamaría enlisted himself in the Cuartel, where they allocated him as drummer of the troops. This section formed part of the army of Alajuela, that later left for Nicaragua. The young Santamaría earns his heroic status in the fight to expel the foreign invadors. As a child of a single mother from Alajuela, his example, and of all those who have fought the war, is a lesson of patriotism and national dignity for the present and future generations.

The Juan Santamaría Historic Museum:

The museum is located in the building of the former prison of the city and, since July 1999, they also occupy the former military headquarters, both buildings were constructed in the second half of the 19th century and have been declared protected monuments of cultural heritage. A lot of services are offered under the supervision of the museum employees, and the curators dedicate themselves entirely to the recovery and preservation of the national heritage. Especially the material heritage, objects and testimonials that relate to the National War of 1856. Through permanent and temporary expositions, they show works of art, paintings and sculptures that do revive the glorious past of the 19th century. Additionally, through establishing specific departments for education, cultural promotion and publication, the Juan Santamaría Museum has produced educational material about the 19th century and other historic moments of national importance. They offer information about the heroic period 1856-1857, in order to strengthen a sense of history among all costa ricans. The educational development has a permanent character and is realized through lectures, audiovisuals, conferences, civic acts, publications and more.

For people who want to do research, the museum facilitates the support of their research with the objective to contribute to a better understanding of the national history. Their is a team available that offers library services and provides investigative support to diffuse the historic knowledge of the National War and of the Province of Alajuela. Most of the activities planned and carried out by the museum start out as a shared initiative. The purpose is to offer to the community, in a permanent way, the best service possible. The editorial department will also be here to stay, publishing works with a historical, genealogical or cultural value, related to the National War of 1856-1857 and the history of the Republic of Costa Rica. The well considered infrastructure of the building allows the national and local community to enjoy various expositions in their excellent auditory. In the different rooms and hallways the museum exhibits its permanent and temporary collections: one of the most interesting sections is the exposition of historic portraits. The collection is made up of oil pantings retelling the battles of the National War in 1856. Another exhibition which attracts hundreds of visitors on a daily basis, is the Historic Documents exhibition. This exhibition consists of “Photograph murals” of great historic and educational importance. It also displays weaponry and other objects used by the costa rican soldiers and the pirate invaders.

Objetivos

One of the objectives of the Juan Santamaría Historic Museum is recovering, valuing and promoting the historic bequest of the heroic deeds of 1856-1857. By affirming the essential values of the costa rican nationality, it strengthens a sense of historical pride among all costa ricans. It also serves as a good alternative of enjoyment and community participation in culture, arts, education, and history.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the National War, the project “Route of the Heroes of 1856-1857”, is initiated by this Museum, with the support and contribution of the community. Its main purpose is recovering the historic identity of the frontier communities, where the costa rican army passed by during the National Campaign of 1856-1857. In conclusion: you are obliged to visit the Juan Santamaría Historic Museum, not only because of the cultural value, but also because of the artistic and historic value of the displays.

How to get there?

The museum is located between the 3rd avenida, calle central and segunda (one block up north from the central park) Alajuela, Costa Rica. Location: on the north side of the central park of Alajuela.
Phone: 441.4775, 442.1838. Open to public: Tuesday to Sunday, 10a.m. - 6p.m.