Museum Director Patricia Von Buchwald...

Colonial Quito comes to life

The Quito City Museum shows how daily life in the Ecuadorian capital has changed since its founding in 1543. Museum Director Patricia von Buchwald explains why this theme is important for the Quiteños of today.

"People with knowledge of their past have high self-esteem. They know that they can do what they set out to do. They are people who are going to go far. Before proposing a theme for our museum, we conducted research indicating that the citizens of Quito have very low self-esteem and appreciation for the importance of everyday tasks.

"So we decided that our museum would be about the daily lives of ordinary people. Each hall shows how we are all builders, not just the important people, the heroes, the great artists. If someone does some humble task and does it well, this is a contribution to society. The museum pays homage to the anonymous builders of the city, those individuals who truly gave identity to a people, to a city."