Columbus House Museum, Las Palmas
Casa Museo de Colón (Columbus House Museum)
Calle Colón
35101 Las Palmas
Teléfono 928 312 373
One of Las Palmas´ most attractive buildings, houses a museum dedicated to Christopher Columbus. The Columbus House Museum (Casa Museo de Colón) contains ornate doorways, leading off large courtyards that are overlooked by beautiful latticed balconies.
Each room inside the Columbus House Museum contains exquisitely carved wooden ceilings and throughout displays many different aspects of Gran Canaria architecture.
The Columbus House Museum was in fact a palace, and was the residence of the
first governors of Gran Canaria. It is claimed that the Columbus House Museum was this very house that Christopher Columbus stayed in, while one of his ships was being repaired back in 1492 which is the reason the house takes the name. The Columbus House Museum building was a family residence up to, as late as the mid 20th century and was the actual birthplace of the famous Canarian Tenor Alfredo Kraus. You will also find in Las Palmas, the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, a concert hall dedicated to the famous tenor.
The building housing the Columbus House Museum was rebuilt in 1777 and has been used for it's current purpose since 1952. the Columbus House Museum contains 13 permanent exhibition rooms, a library and study centre. It also contains space set aside for lectures, seminars and special exhibitions. On display as part of the Columbus House Museum
you will find pre Christopher Columbus artefacts, models of ships, an exact replica of a
cabin from La Niña (one of the ships in Christopher Columbus' fleet, instruments used for navigation,
charts and maps (some detailing Christopher Columbus' journeys), exhibition rooms full of paintings, plus other artefacts that relate to voyages made by Christopher Columbus.
The
Columbus House Museum exhibits, display the history of the Canaries and their
relationship with and to the Americas. You will even see models of the the original
Las Palmas and how it has changed over the centuries. Note the perimeter wall that
prevented the areas of Vegueta and
Triana from expanding northwards,
therefore forcing the city to expand inland.
Calle de los Balcones (street of the balconies) is a cobbled street leading off the
Plaza del Pilar and runs parallel to the sea. A seemingly old street but one with a
twist. On this little back street lined with 18th century facades you will come across
an unassuming building who's 18th century facade hides the
Atlantic Modern Art Centre
(Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno). All this within walking distance of the Columbus House Museum.
