Banco de La Habana

CA2
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Eclectic
CA Ranking: 2
Admission: Free
Cuba e/ Obispo y Obrapía, Habana Vieja
  • This 1915 two-story building was made of reinforced concrete. Its façade was composed of elements of the Ionic order and stood out because of its semicircular portico and its beautiful wooden door, which was protected by a solid wrought-iron gate. The façade’s six large columns with imposing pedestals gave the building a monumental character, very much in keeping with its role. With the Cuban banking collapse, the institution, which from the start was under the control of the National City Bank of New York, was compelled to enlarge the building due to an increase in operations, and in 1922, the third floor was added. Today, it is an office building for the national Insurance Company.

    
  • Fuente de los Leones

    Fuente de los Leones  LH 3

    Designed in 1836 by Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini, the Carrara marble Fuente del Conde de Villanueva is popularly known as “Fuente de los Leones” for its four lions, one to each corner, resting on p …

    Edificio del Retiro Odontológico

    Edificio del Retiro Odontológico  LH 3

    In 1953, architect Antonio Quintana won the competition for the design of a building which would house doctors’ offices, stores and other public spaces. The use of brise-soleil, popularized by the Fre …

    Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Parroquia del Vedado)

    Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Parroquia del Vedado)  LH 3

    Built in 1892, this is Vedado’s oldest church; and is mostly known by its celebration of Corpus Christi in May, in addition to many other Catholic festivities. The wooden altar, pulpit and stained-gla …

    Museo del Chocolate

    Museo del Chocolate  LH 3

    Although calling this place a museum is an overstatement, there are some intriguing artefacts relating to the history of chocolate production in Cuba. More appropriate would be to call it Café Fábrica …

    Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta

    Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta  LH 3

    Given its strategic location on one side of the harbor mouth, this fortress was one of the two most important defensive constructions in Havana’s defense system in colonial times. Construction works t …

    Iglesia de Santa Rita de Casia

    Iglesia de Santa Rita de Casia  LH 3

    The succession of parabolic arcs made of reinforced concrete in contrast to the three stories of rectangular windows which alternate with the arcs create a sense of motion and modernity, accentuated b …

    Plaza Carlos III

    Plaza Carlos III  LH 3

    This is a four-story commercial center that includes shops, fast food outlets, a bank, food market, etc, which after wide-ranging remodeling and restoration, first opened in October 1997. At the time, …

    Oratorio de San Felipe Neri

    Oratorio de San Felipe Neri  LH 3

    Originally a small church built in 1693, it was acquired two centuries later by a bank. The building was eventually returned to the city as a concert hall where lyric theater and song is performed. It …

    Hotel Saratoga

    Hotel Saratoga  LH 3

    The Saratoga Hotel – Reborn The oldest reference of what today is the elegant eclectic Saratoga Hotel dates back to 1879 when construction works for a three-story building began. The first floor was s …

    Casa de Carmen Montilla

    Casa de Carmen Montilla  LH 3

    This charming art gallery was established in 1994 by the late Venezuelan artist Carmen Montilla (1944-2004) with the support of the Office of the Historian of Havana. It is housed in 18th-century buil …

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