Casa Paoli

The house is significant as the birthplace of Antonio Paoli (1871–1946), a tenor who was the "first Puerto Rican to reach international recognition in the performing arts"[4] and "one of the most outstanding opera singers of all times".

The interior consists of nine rooms, a long, sunny, lateral hallway with multiple wooden veneer shutters, and an external cobble-stone foyer leading to the back courtyard.

From a young age, he would accompany his parents to opera performances at the Teatro La Perla, located some six blocks from this house.

[8] After studying at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial in Madrid, Spain, and the Academia de Canto La Scala in Milan, Italy, Paoli made his debut in Paris.

On 13 April 2005 his remains were exhumed and transferred to Ponce's Roman Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon.

The museum at Casa Paoli gives visitors insight into the fascinating life story and achievements of Puerto Rico's "Tenor of the Kings".

[12][13] The museum consists of three exposition rooms where photographs, correspondence in the form of post cards, etc., and other memorabilia are displayed.

[9] Among the offerings of this museum is a shop displaying colorful papier-mâché masks used in Ponce's annual Carnival celebrations.

The current museum exhibits documents and other memorabilia from the life of this well respected singer, along with examples of Puerto Rican art and a history of the city of Ponce.

Interior gallery