Just steps from Plaza de la Cultura on its south side, stands the elegant National Theater of Costa Rica. As we approach the building, you’ll notice its grand neoclassical façade with columned portico and stone statues gazing down – it almost looks like a smaller European opera house transported to Central America. In fact, when it opened in the late nineteenth century, this theater was the pride of San José, showcasing that Costa Rica had “arrived” on the world stage of arts. Now you might wonder how the city could afford such a lavish theater when San Jose's population was only around nineteen thousand people. Coffee, that’s how! The theater was funded by a special tax on coffee exports so our famous coffee trade paid for this jewel. The leaders want to show the world that they're not just a small coffee-producing nation, but a sophisticated one with a thriving cultural scene. And they spared no expense to build this national theatre, on par with the grand opera houses of Europe. Look at the architecture – it’s primarily neo-classical, drawing heavily from European styles, especially the Paris Opera House. They even brought in European architects and artists to help design and decorate it. Notice the statues representing Music, Dance, and Fame above the entrance – right away, you know this is a place dedicated to the arts. If the doors are open, you can peek into the lobby for free – you might catch a glimpse of the ornate foyer and grand staircase. Exploring the theatre requires booking a paid guided tour. If you are deeply interested in art and architecture, you could book a tour in English or Spanish. The interiors are very impressive. The marble is from Italy; the gold leaf is real gold and the acoustics are superb. The frescoes on the ceilings were painted by Italian artists. But some of these artists did not really know much about Costa Rica. The National Theater’s most famous ceiling painting, “Allegory of Coffee and Bananas,” has small mistakes. The Italian artist who painted it had never seen bananas before – he painted the bananas upside-down and depicted coffee growing on beaches! Even if you don’t step inside, you can see this painting depicted on the five colón bill. Feel free to admire the architecture and take some photos before we head to our next stop.