Casa de Dionisio Velasco

CA3
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Eclectic
CA Ranking: 3
Admission: Free
Cárcel #51 esq. a Zulueta, Habana Vieja
  • Built in 1912, the building was conceived as a grand palace. Lavishly ornamented on its facade, it features overhanging balconies and windows which break the horizontal line of the balustrade. This monumental building, built in the early days of the Republic, is an antecedent of the sumptuous mansions that would flood Havana’s wealthy neighborhoods in the following decades. It belonged to the Velasco family until 1960, when it became the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy. Since 1986, it is the Spanish Embassy.

    
  • Lonja del Comercio

    Lonja del Comercio  LH 4

    The Lonja del Comercio, which first opened on March 1909, is angled obliquely to the square on its northern side. It was built in eclectic-style by the architectural firm of Purdy and Henderson as a c …

    Seminario San Carlos y San Ambrosio (Real y Conciliar Colegio Seminario de San Carlos)

    Seminario San Carlos y San Ambrosio (Real y Conciliar Colegio Seminario de San Carlos)  LH 4

    In 1689, Bishop Diego Evelino de Compostela founded San Ambrosio, an unpretentious school for boys, located on Tejadillo Street and adjacent to the Jesuit church under construction at the time. When t …

    Monumento a José Miguel Gómez

    Monumento a José Miguel Gómez  LH 4

    Located on Avenida de los Presidentes, this is one of the most lavish monuments in the city. Its bas-reliefs show important moments in the life of José Miguel Gómez, president of the Republic of Cuba …

    El Floridita

    El Floridita  LH 5

    While the Floridita has its detractors, it is probably worth stopping in for a daiquiri just because it is there. It has certainly been around the block since it first opened its doors over 200 years …

    Avenida Paseo

    Avenida Paseo  LH 4

    Avenida Paseo, with large trees on both sides and a wide promenade with topiary and benches, is one of Havana’s most classy streets. There are luxurious mansions on both sides of the street, including …

    Palacio Cueto

    Palacio Cueto  LH 4

    Rising over the plaza off the southeast corner is Palacio Cueto. Built in 1906 with an elaborately adorned façade featuring griffins, satyrs and other mythical figures, it’s reminiscent of the moderni …

    Palacio del Conde Lombillo

    Palacio del Conde Lombillo  LH 4

    Located on the north-east corner of the Plaza de la Catedral, this mid18th-century building is unusual in having three façades: the main one on Empedrado and the other two facing Mercaderes and the sq …

    Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales

    Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales  LH 4

    Tucked into the northwest corner of the plaza, the relatively austere gallery occupies three levels of a partially restored 18th-century townhouse mansion. It holds temporary exhibitions of both renow …

    Manzana de Gómez

    Manzana de Gómez  LH 4

    Owned by Julián de Zulueta, construction work began in 1890 according to the project designed by architect Pedro Tomé Veracruisse; however, still unfinished, it was sold to Andrés Gómez Mena, who comp …

    Convento y Capilla de la Inmaculada Concepción

    Convento y Capilla de la Inmaculada Concepción  LH 4

    This beautiful church and convent was built in Neo=\-Gothic style in 1874 and was a private girls’ school until 1961. The patio and chapel have beautiful wooden ceilings, notable stained-glass windows …

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