In a 100-year-old house, a new museum was opened that collects part of the history of the La Libertad canton

In a corner building, with wooden windows and balconies, on the boardwalk of La Libertad canton, province of Santa Elena, a municipal museum was set up that keeps part of the history of that town. The site is called The House of 100 Years.

The walk in that place begins by going up a staircase on whose left side there is a photographic series. Among these images there is a black and white graphic dating from 1923, in which a group of people is seen who are located in the La Caleta area, a rock formation that collapsed a few weeks ago. In addition, other photos show a Palau pier and bridge, a military parade, and other ancient sites in the canton.

This is one of the attractions that tourists who arrived in Santa Elena can discover during this Holy Week holiday that ends tomorrow, Sunday, April 17.

The archaeologist Iván Cruz, technician of the Heritage Unit of the Municipality of La Libertad, says that the purpose of this museum is to publicize the history of the peninsular town and that local students and visitors and other localities learn about the culture of the population , as a fishing village and with an inclination for commerce.

Upon reaching the first floor, most areas of the museum can be explored. There, Cruz, who shares the guide with his partner Luis Franco, shows a pre-Hispanic raft that was made by recreating the records of drawings and historical stories, and states that this highlights the past of that fishing and navigating canton, whose first settlers They even traveled to Mexico and Peru, where evidence of the shell has been found. spondylus.

Cruz reports the details of each of the spaces of the historic museum La Casa de los 100 Años, which was inaugurated in previous days in the restored house. Several information panels displayed in the corridors of the museum also inform about the historical passages of the town.

In the exhibition, Cruz says, there are several showcases with stone material, such as net weights, diver’s weights, anchors, oyster punches and other fishing gear. Those pieces were donated by Genaro Soria, a diver who rescued those archaeological pieces.

In addition, there are other objects and figures from the Huancavilca and Valdivia cultures. There is also space for photographs and family items of Aureliano Vera de la A, who built the museum’s house in 1910. There, in addition, there are original photos of the house in full construction and Vera’s identity card.

In another space, the exhibitor points out several pieces from the arrival of the English for the drilling of the first oil well in Ancón, starting in 1911. There, old articles are observed, such as lead boots, plates and switches. Following the route, there are spaces with coins of yesteryear, such as the sucre. The space is about to receive more pieces that belong to the canton of La Libertad, says Cruz.

The space is open to the general public from Wednesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00. Entry is given in an orderly manner, with groups of ten to follow biosecurity measures.

This new tourist space is located at the intersection with Guayaquil street, diagonal to the Punta del Mar hotel.

Luis Tenempaguay, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of the province of Santa Elena, considered that this point becomes an important tourist icon to add to the tourist offer for visitors who come to the peninsula, even on the upcoming holiday.

Among the municipal plans, the regeneration of the La Libertad boardwalk, located in front of the museum, is foreseen in the coming months, according to the projections of the council. (I)