University of Nicaragua in Leon and Casa de Cultura

I am attaching some photos I took recently.  Maybe I've already posted some others of the U. of N. but I just LOVE this building.  Its the administration building and there are classrooms in it too. 

My Spanish classes are in the Casa de Cultura so I have included some photos of it too.  This used to be a private residence but the owners were Somosa supporters so they fled, abandoning their home,  to the US as the Sandinista revolution gained momentum in Leon in the late 70s.  I guess they still live in the US but in the 80s or 90s the US govt apparently gave Nicaragua the money to pay the family for this house and the title went to the Mayor of Leon and now its a cultural center.  Apparently there is some dispute about how much money was paid for the house ( a Sandinista told me it was 2 or 3 times the actual value of the property). 

The front of the UNAN administration/classroom  building

This is the exterior of the Casa de cultura.

Exterior of the Casa de Cultura showing their list of activities and the sign for the Spanish language school ( yeah, I know, hard to read)

Obviously, the now empty swimming pool wiht overlooking balcony and the archway going to changing rooms, now bathrooms. 

One of the interior garden areas, pool is at this end.  The gate allows access for cars from that street.  The Casa is on a corner.

Open stairway with pretty ironwork

Mural at the top of the stairs

Anyhow, the pictures are pretty much self explanatory and the house must have been fabulous as the architecture is beautiful altho keeping up the maintenance is difficult.  I don't know what kind of funding they have, probably not much.  I think I have posted earlier a photo of the painting of Regan with a gun sitting on a Nicaraguan native woman's shoulders, she has slit her wrists and there are  little caricatures of Kissinger and Haig dressed as court jesters standing at her feet.  That painting is hanging in the Casa totally unprotected, altho it is under the overhang in the courtyard.  It should be in a much more protected place but......funding.