Paintings, engravings, sculptures, furniture of style, textiles, arms, ornamental arts, historical objects and an extraordinary collection of strange and valuable books in French, English and Spanish language, are shown to the everyone that enters this museum, no matter if you are a Cuban or a foreigner.



The museum headquarters, the Dolce Dimora (Sweet Home"), formerly belonged to Orestes Ferrara Marine, lawyer and politician in the Republic stage, of Italy-Cuban nationality; is the imitation of a Renaissance palace of the XVI century. Designed and built at the end of the decade of the 20's in the last century, by the architects Govantes and Cabarrocas, this residence is built with Italian marbles, European glasses, wrought irons and precious wood. There, the collections that belonged to the Cuban farmer's property Julio Lobo Olavarr'a can be admired today. Other collections have been donated or acquired in auctions carried out in Europe and United States. The collections embrace different periods of the Napoleonic Empire, such as the reign of the Bourbons, the French Revolution, the ascent of Bonaparte to the power, the Consulate and the Empire, the moment of the main battles, the return to the Elbe Island and the battle of Waterloo.

Four galleries reflect in chronological order the Emperor's life, by means of furniture, paintings, weapons, busts, telescopes and personal guns of Bonaparte. Also, the mortuary mask of Napoleon, brought to Cuba by his doctor Francesco Antommarchi who settled in the eastern part of Santiago de Cuba after residing in New York.

Inaugurated on December 1st, 1961, the elegance of the architectural group, characterized by eclectic elements, dress the only museum specialized in Art Empire in the island and in Latin America. A beautiful central garden gives access to the wide main lobby that facilitates to travel the galleries, distributed in the four floors of the property, which tourists, students and workers today can enjoy.

In the Museum there are valuable things which can be contemplated, as fragments of the sarcophagus of Napoleon and some of his hair, and works of art made to personal application, among those the mirrors and silver and golden chests that he never came to use.

Also, the gifts of the sovereign to their wives: the lamp that gave to Josefina, while being General; and the case of painting that he gave to Mar'a Luisa from Austria, his second spouse. Portraits and sculptures are plentiful, as that of the marble bust located in the lateral garden that distinguished artists dedicated him.

A mention deserves the voluminous collection of books, with four thousand copies of the XVI century to the XIX one, of great interest for scholar and scientific tourists. You are really interested in visiting this museum during your holidays. This chance only happens once while in the island. Do not miss this chance.