The French Pharmacy in Matanzas: 126 Years Old

As if the centuries had not passed, the old French Pharmacy, known as La Botica Francesa, in Matanzas, has been preserved to show visitors the simple and beautiful ways of science during the 19th Century. Almost 44 years ago La Botica Francesa became the first pharmaceutical museum of Latin America, with its rooms reminding us of the hardships encountered on the road of research, and the past century's achievements, inviting us to ponder the super technology to come.

The pharmacy, owned by French Ernesto Triolet Lelièvre and Cuban Juan Fermín de Figueroa, opened its doors on January 1st 1882 across from the Arms Square (today Parque de la Libertad) in a building constructed for that purpose, with living quarters on the upper floor from where the red tiled roofs of the city could be admired. Its rooms and decoration were made in the French style, from the country where its owners met.

Originally, the idea was to build the pharmacy in the nearby city of Cardenas, as one can see on labels of ancient bottles of conserves, still shining on the marble counters. The decision to change turned out to be a wise one. The pharmacy had 82 successful years in Matanzas...