Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial

Panama City


Housed beside the ruins of the Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo, the Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial has a collection of colonial-era religious artifacts, some dating from the 16th century.

Just inside the ruins' doorway, the Arco Chato is a long arch that stood here unsupported for centuries. It even played a part in the selection of Panama over Nicaragua as the site for the canal, since its survival was taken as proof that the area was not subject to earthquakes. It collapsed in 2003 but has since been rebuilt.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Panama City attractions

1. Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo

0.01 MILES

Built in 1678, these gorgeous ruins in Casco Viejo are what remain after two major fires brought down the church's tower and interior areas. Left are the…

2. Teatro Nacional

0.06 MILES

Built in 1907, the interior of this ornate Casco Viejo theater has been completely restored. It boasts red and gold decorations, a once-magnificent…

3. Museo del Canal Interoceánico

0.09 MILES

This impressive museum is housed in a beautifully restored building that once served as the headquarters for the original French canal company. The Panama…

4. Iglesia de San Francisco

0.11 MILES

This restored 17th-century church exhibits Gothic, Romantic and Renaissance architectural influences.

5. Plaza de la Independencia

0.11 MILES

In this plaza, in the heart of Casco Viejo, Panama declared its independence from Colombia on November 3, 1903.

6. Parque Bolívar

0.11 MILES

In 1826, in a schoolroom opposite this Casco Viejo park, Simón Bolívar held a meeting urging the union of the Latin American countries. Bolívar eventually…

7. Museo de Historia de Panamá

0.11 MILES

The modest Museo de Historia de Panamá has a small selection of exhibits covering Panamanian history from the colonial period to the modern era.

8. Palacio Municipal

0.11 MILES

This neoclassical Casco Viejo building, dating to 1910, houses the modest Museo de Historia de Panamá.

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