Museo Sorsogon: The old jailhouse turned into a museum.

Hello, Hiver friends!

Allow me to take you on a new journey where the histories of the southernmost province of Luzon are unveiled. The province of Sorsogon. Museo Sorsogon has everything you need to know about the province's past and what it has to offer.

The museum is located at the back of the provincial capitol building. The museum's main building used to be the old provincial jail and courthouse.

The exterior restoration of the museum sstructure was able to preserve the colonial architectural design of the building, while what was left on the interior were the solid metal cell doors that are now glass-paneled and the solitary confinement, or isolation chamber.

Stepping inside the museum, near the entrance, the first thing you will notice is this replica of a cannon found in Nasugbu, Batangas, and the big iron anchor recovered from the Donsol Astillero (shipyard). This 3-meter-long anchor was excavated along with other artifacts in Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon, where they discovered the shipyard that connected during the Spanish colonial period. The artifacts recovered in Donsol Astillero led to the discovery of a shipyard linked to the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade.

The museum has 10 galleries that display different historical items, including the story about the name of the province, its geographic location, a cultural display that narrates what the province was like during the Spanish, American, and Japanese governments, galleries of recovered and restored guns and swords, colorful festivities, proud local products, famous personalities that came from the province, and its tourist spots.

This gallery shows details about the 14 towns or municipalities the province governed, their population, area, and dialects.

This Remington riffle was loaned from a private collector. It is believed that this is the type of gun the Spaniards used to execute Jose Rizal, our national hero.

These restored guns are displayed inside the bartolina, or solitary cell, where they preserve the double solid door during the restoration of the building.

This gallery narrates the revolution and war against Spaniards, resistance against Americans, and Japanese. On display are some of the guns and weapons used during the war.

This Lady of Justice wall painting was an artwork of one of the previous inmates in jail. It is located on the second floor, where the court used to be situated.

This is the part of the museum where they showcase the province's main industries, which are coconut, pili nuts, abaca fibers, and tools made by blacksmiths.

Pantomina is a traditional dance in Sorsogon or Bicol Regoion that is usually danced during weddings. On display is the province certificate that was awarded by Guinness World Records when they bagged the Largest Filipino Folk Dance during the Pantomina sa Tinampo.

There were 7,127 participants who joined the folk dance. Also on display are the actual clothes that the former Governor Chiz Escudero and his wife, Heart Evangelista, wore.

Last on display is the Kasanggayahan festival, which is held during the month of October. And lastly, they showcase their famous tourist spots that the province offers, such as the Donsol Whale Sharks, Bulusan Lake, and their beautiful beaches.

This museum opened in 2021 after all the prisoners were transferred to a new penitentiary in 2019. It was a great initiative to restore, preserve, and improve the building and turn it into a museum instead of tearing it down.

What used to be the home of inmates is now the home of the whole province's culture, tradition, and history.

Thank you for reading!

❤️❤️❤️

All photos are my own, unless stated otherwise.