It was founded in the beautiful city of Santiago de Cuba on February 12, 1899, at the initiative of the mayor of the city, Emilio Bacardí, with the characteristic of being the first Museum-Library intended for public service. Since 1978, it has held the status of National Monument. Until 1927, its headquarters were three houses that eventually proved insufficient, which is why it was decided to bui the appropriate property for the institution.
Today, after a long and fruitful career that speaks volumes about the vision and material contribution from its patron, it locks up in its rooms valuable treasures of the pre-Colombian culture, national and European art and Cuban history.
For example, the historical connotation of a vest and tailcoat belonging to the National Hero of Cuba, José Martí, personal objects of the Father of the Nation, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, as well as pieces whose owner was General Antonio Maceo and other patriots. The magnificent building built especially to house the Museum that at first only intended to contain relics of the history of the struggles for independence, it is a great exponent of the urban historic center of Santiago de Cuba, with its eclectic decorated façade with neoclassical elements, conceived by the architect Carlos Segrera.
With its new characteristics, it was officially inaugurated on May 20, 1928, the centenary institution that has 3 exhibition rooms: Art, History and Ethnography and one of Extension Art, located in the Old Club San Carlos on San Pedro Street between Aguilera and Heredia. Of great educational importance for new generations, the History Room deserves to be mentioned again, saying that it also keeps objects related to the first settlers who arrived to our archipelago, from the Taino group from South America.
And of universal culture, the Egyptian mummy acquired by Emilio Bacardi during a trip he made in 1912 to that legendary nation, and two Peruvian mummies donated to the then Director of the Fernando Boytel Museum in 1951. The most important Pinacoteca in Cuba is located in the Provincial Museum of Santiago de Cuba. There is a collection of colonial painting that dates back to the last three centuries and highlights its collection of works of the Spanish Renaissance, to the artist Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, painter of the king Fernando II´s court, Federico Madrazo, Matías Ximeno and others.
Impressive is the large national art room where works by prestigious artists are displayed. Creators such as Juan Emilio Hernández Giró, José Joaquín Tejada Revilla, Federico Martínez Matos, Lucía Victoria Bacardi Cape, Carlos R Aguilera Tamayo, Rene Portocarrero, Antonio Ferrer Cabello, Amelia Peláez and others. Great admiration is caused by finding a kind of mambí torpedo built by the first fighters for independence under the command of the brilliant Cuban general Calixto García, to fly the Spanish sailboats anchored at the mouth of the Cauto River, east of Cuba.
The extensive collection of this significant Museum has more than 23,000 heritage items, among which are historical documents and photos, publications, musical scores, historical relics of a patriotic nature, numismatic pieces, weapons, curious antiques and belongings of important Creole and foreign public figures.