This expertly curated museum tells the story of the numerous institutions that once stood on this site on Calle Mercaderes, from the erstwhile Convento de San Juan de Letrán, established in 1570, to the Dominican-run University of Havana which welcomed students between 1728 and 1902 before moving to Vedado. The contemporary building was constructed over the skeleton of an ugly 1950s office block.
Many of the university's arts faculties have reinhabited the space, while a small 1st-floor art gallery displays some priceless paintings by Cuban old masters such as José Nicolás de la Escalera, plus a couple of more modern works by Victor Manuel Valdés.
