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The historical houses of Liberia�s Calle Real (Royal Road) possess and architectural style and mode of construction that harkens back to colonial times. They are built around a central atrium reminiscent of early Roman and Etruscan home designs. The bedrooms and bathrooms line the longer sides, the reception and family rooms are in the front, and the workshops and vehicle storage in the back. These buildings are tranquil fortresses providing cool relief from the heat and dust of the city. Most of their facades are plain while ornate louvered windows adorn others.
One architectural detail brought by the Spanish that is diminishing in number as the old houses are destroyed is the corner, or stunted corner door. Visible in the wooden and adobe structures of Liberia and surrounding towns, the building either comes to a square corner in which two doors are set at right angles to each other, or the corner is flattened and only one door appears.
Cowboys riding horseback herding cattle down the roads, and oxcarts transporting people and loads are seldom seen today.
They used to cause traffic jams that made you smile more than stress, since nobody was in any real hurry. As the cowboys whooped and whistled and �vaca, vaca-d� their herds into order, you could slowly part the ride of beef and go your own merry way.
Another thing you don�t see any more: Riding the bus next to someone with chickens or a piga in their lap. Some old customs are not missed.
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Art and Culture 
