Ministerio de la Presidencia

This guide to the Ministerio de la Presidencia in Panama City opens with what Henry Morgan never reached, since his pirates burned the previous city instead of this one, and traces how Spain rebuilt its administration here as the royal customs house, taxing silver, mule trains, and pearls dredged from the Pearl Islands. It follows the building's long run as a bonded warehouse and then as headquarters of the National Bank of Panama, sharing space even after a president finally moved in. You'll hear where the mother-of-pearl in the courtyard fountain actually came from. Look for the herons that still stalk the patio today.