Many of the Great Cacao families had implemented old world architectural styles in their homes, and thus many wood houses were transformed with the Art Nouveau style.
Art nouveau is characterized by the presence of elements of nature, emphasizing its rebellious lines as an analogy to freedom from industrialization. In 1990 the Ecuadorean National Institute of Cultural Heritage declared the Guzmán Marcos house as a national heritage asset.
Subsequently, in 2018 the Illustrious Municipality of Guayaquil began the restoration and adaptation of the Guzmán Marcos house in order to rescue cacao tradition and create a visiting site that holds the history, trajectory and future of the Ecuadorian cacao industry The National Museum of Cacao.
The Municipal Department of Tourism of Guayaquil, led by Mrs. Gloria Gallardo as its president, conceived this project and brought together an outstanding group of cacao farmers, historians and journalists to recreate the history of the importance of cacao for our country. The building has been restored and adapted, preserving the original characteristics and elements.
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