El Patio Casa del Marqués de Aguas Claras

CA5
Top Pick
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Spanish colonial
CA Ranking: 5
Admission: Free
San Ignacio #54, esq. a Empedrado, Habana Vieja
  • Located on the north-west corner of the former Plaza de la Ciénaga, today Plaza de la Catedral, this mansion stands out from its neighbors due to its wide and spacious portal juts out onto the plaza, thus breaking its symmetry. This mid-18th-century house (built from 1751-1775) boasts a beautiful inner courtyard and original 18th-century stained glass on its upper-floor windows.

    The original owner was Sebastián Peñalver, lawyer, alderman and mayor of Havana, who had been accused of collaborating with the British interventionists. The house was sold in 1772 to Josefa Calvo de la Puerta–a descendent of one of the founding families of the city–but was later purchased by Antonio Ponce de León, the Marquis of Aguas Claras, the name by which the mansion is known.

     

    
  • Edificio Bacardí

    Edificio Bacardí  LH 5

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    Museo de la Ciudad (Palacio de los Capitanes Generales)

    Museo de la Ciudad (Palacio de los Capitanes Generales)  LH 5

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    Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula

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    Convento e Iglesia de la Merced

    Convento e Iglesia de la Merced  LH 5

    Built between 1865 and 1867, this is arguably one of Havana’s most lush churches. The temple stands opposite a small square and its façade, constructed in Baroque style, features the principal door wi …

    Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam

    Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam  LH 5+

    The north-west corner of the square is occupied by the 18th-century Casa de los Condes de Peñalver, which has at different times served as a post office, a bank and a school. Today, it houses the Cent …

    Almacenes de San José

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    Initially called Avenida de las Américas, Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) stretches from the tunnel that connects it to Calzada Street, in Vedado, to the Santa Ana River, in the locality of Santa Fe. Co …

    Plaza Vieja

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    Paseo del Prado

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    Arte Corte (Papito’s)

    Arte Corte (Papito’s)  LH 5+

    Established about eight years ago, Arte Corte is a hairdressing salon that is also an “interactive museum” where the customer, while comfortably seated in a hundred year-old chair awaiting their turn, …

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