Galdosian route: 03. the Museo Canario

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Routes · Subcategory: Galdosian route

Interestingly, the first site for the Museum was on the rooms on the upper floor of the Town Hall, which had been previously occupied by the Royal Courts. It wasn't until 1923 that it was moved to its present day location, in Dr. Chil's property.

In one of the rooms on the top floor of the Museum, all the bedroom décor where Galdós died in Madrid was set up, having been allowed to be brought in to Las Palmas by his nephews. This room was known as «Galdós' bedroom», and was a visiting and meeting place for visitors to the Museum. It would later be moved to its current position at the Pérez Galdós House Museum.

According to Claudio de la Torre, at the printing press which is preserved at the Museum «El Ómnibus was printed off there, the newspaper which published Benito Pérez Galdós' first ever literary works».

Galdos' signature appears in the museum's visitors' book following his visit to Gran Canaria in 1894. Over this signature was a brief text, which read: How beautiful is the Museo Canario! dated: 29th October.

It was founded in 1879, making it the oldest museum in the Canaries. It is one of the most important anthropological museums in the world, thanks to its huge array of indigenous pottery, featuring the famous «pintaderas», or wall paintings, the idol of Tara and its collections of aboriginal mummies and skulls. The Museum also houses an important documentary collection dealing with many aspects of the islands, and is the best newspaper library in the Canaries.

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