Museo Costumbrista Casa Deheza
Museum of 19th Century Colonial Customs

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The Deheza Museum of Colonial 19th Century Customs and Costumes (Museo Costumbrista Casa Deheza), located in one of Sucre's old colonial homes built in the late 1700's, features exhibits of many antique pieces of furniture, household items, and other elements typical to daily life in Sucre in the late 19th century to very early 20th century. What it is best known for is the very large collection of costumes, typical daily wear and formal wear it houses, along with numerous incredibly valuable purses and handbags made of pure silver and encrusted in gems.

Casa Deheza Museo Costumbrista Sucre Bolivia


The Casa Deheza museum is arranged into period-specific and societal class-specific exhibits representing various "corners" of life toward the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, to give visitors a sense of what it must have been like to live in these times. The exhibits are based on an extensive collection of over 1000 pieces once owned by María Luisa Zelada de Gantier, which now belong to San Francisco Xavier University of the State of Chuquisaca.

In this YouTube video by Red Uno (one of our national television stations) you can see some of the beautiful exhibits, costumes and artifacts on display:


https://youtu.be/TvvMPyeniJs

There are ten interesting corners or rooms at the museum displaying daily wear, a store and a chichería (saloon), a blacksmith's shop (herrería), chola outfits (women of Spanish and indigenous mix), photographs, coins, stamps, cards, dance and party wear, an office, a laundry room, a bedroom, and a typical kitchen. You will be able to see how life was for the upper, middle and poorer classes during this time in Bolivia's history.

All of the items in this museum are highly valued historically more than monetarily, as this was considered Bolivia's "Golden Age". The museum is quite beautiful. The tour costs under $2 and takes about one hour.

Museo Costumbrista Casa Deheza, Calle San Alberto 156, Sucre, Bolivia
Hours: M-F 8:30-12:00 and 2:30-5:30 - Sat. 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.


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