1 - Welcome to Casa Coronel, the Cacao and Chocolate Museum!
You are now in the main hall of the Museum. Before beginning the tour, we invite you to look up and take a moment to admire this majestic inverted pyramid-shaped chandelier, crafted from nearly 500 molinillos (traditional wooden whisks).As you gaze upon it, let us tell you a bit about this place.This house stands on what was once "the esplanade," at the edge of the old walled city of Panama. In 1671, the pirate Henry Morgan and his men stormed the city, looting and burning it to the ground.During the restoration of the house, cannonballs were found—silent evidence of that attack.Casa Coronel is one of the few buildings that still preserves Spanish colonial architecture, which is reflected in the vertical placement of the wood on its façade.Its earliest historical records date back to 1880, when Panama was still part of Colombia.The current owners have long wished to listen to what these walls have to say, striving to preserve its essence and magic as much as possible.Today, it opens its doors as a museum, blending history with a great passion: the world of cacao.We invite you to uncover its secrets and immerse yourself in a sensory experience, where the past comes alive through the aromas of chocolate.
As you listen to this audio, observe the images of Theobroma Cacao on the ground floor of the Museum: its tree, flower, fruit, and a heart-shaped pod.This tree is the origin of cacao, the essential ingredient of chocolate.Its scientific name, coined by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, combines the human with the divine. "Theo" means God, and "broma" means food—hence its designation as the "Food of the Gods."Native to the tropical rainforests of present-day Ecuador, cacao thrives in warm, humid climates. Its cultivation spread throughout Mesoamerica, where it was essential to the Maya and Aztec cultures.There are three main varieties of cacao: Criollo, which today represents a small percentage of production and is grown in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean; Forastero, the most resilient and widely cultivated variety worldwide; and Trinitario, a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero.Fun fact: Cacao trees can live up to 100 years, although their productive lifespan is only about 25 years. Each tree produces around 30 pods annually.We invite you to go up to the Mezzanine for the next explanation.
On this mural, you can appreciate two reproductions of engravings by Girolamo Benzoni, an Italian historian and writer from the Renaissance, best known for his work History of the New World, published in 1565.It is an account of his travels to the Americas, and probably the first European publication about the use of cacao.In one of the images, the word “cacahuatl” stands out at the foot of a cacao tree, with cacao pods drying in the sun, guarded by an indigenous person.In the second image, the importance of cacao cultivation and transportation is shown, with cacao also used as currency.Now, observe the vertical image. It is an illustration from the Codex Vindobonensis, a pictographic manuscript probably created in the early 16th century, shortly after the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas.Pay attention to how cacao was used in Mexica rituals and ceremonies, and its connection to the gods, especially Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god, associated with creation and knowledge.
10 - Napoleon and the Chocolate Revolution
Did you know that chocolate also conquered Napoleon Bonaparte?This military strategist not only relied on cacao to stay energized during his campaigns, but his legacy also left a mark on the history of chocolate.On January 5, 1860, in commemoration of the great Battle of Solferino, his nephew, Napoleon III, made a decision that would change the fate of chocolate in Europe—eliminating taxes on cacao and paving the way for its democratization.This act spurred the industrialization of chocolate, making it more accessible and giving rise to the first molds for mass production.Take a close look at the molds in front of you. Find the small pewter mold crafted in Vienna in the 19th century, designed to produce a dozen delicate chocolate eggs.Now, compare it with the 20th-century American mold, capable of creating up to 48 pieces at once.Over time, molds evolved, bringing to life hollow figures such as Easter bunnies, Santa Claus, fruits, and toys. Today, thanks to materials like silicone and polycarbonate, our chocolatiers at the museum can experiment with innovative and personalized shapes.We invite you to proceed to the next floor.
