Manzana de Gómez

CA4
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Eclectic
CA Ranking: 4
Admission: n-a
Limited by Neptuno, Monserrate, Obispo and Zulueta Streets, Habana Vieja
  • 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 completed the first floor. Four other floors were subsequently added from 1916 to 1918, all of which were designed around a central courtyard, which ensured natural lighting and ventilation. The ground floor, which was surrounded by wide galleries with inner passageways that met in a rotunda, was set aside for shops, while the upper floors housed business offices, law firms, notary’s offices and other. It held over 500 departments and it was estimated that a floating population of 25,000 people would visit the place every day.

    (under restoration)

    
  • Iglesia del Espíritu Santo

    Iglesia del Espíritu Santo  LH 4

    Although considered by many the oldest church in Havana, a research by historian Pedro A. Herrera has proved otherwise. The original building, which was built as a hermitage in 1638 for freed slaves a …

    Avenida de los Presidentes (Calle G)

    Avenida de los Presidentes (Calle G)  LH 4

    This avenue takes its name, Avenida de los Presidentes (Avenue of the Presidents), from the monuments that have been placed on its wide promenade to honor some of Cuba’s former presidents as well as o …

    Hostal Conde de Villanueva

    Hostal Conde de Villanueva  LH 4

    The former 18th-century mansion of Claudio Martínez de Pinillos, Count of Villanueva, leader of Cuban Creole society in the 19th century, was restored in the 1990s to create a charming and comfortable …

    Parque Temático Isla del Coco

    Parque Temático Isla del Coco  LH 4

    Cuba’s first theme park opened in 2008 on the site of Havana’s former Coney Island Park. The very old park was razed to the ground to give way to the new attractions. There are rides for kids of all a …

    Sacra Iglesia Catedral Ortodoxa de San Nicolás

    Sacra Iglesia Catedral Ortodoxa de San Nicolás  LH 4

    This tiny and architecturally authentic Greek orthodox church (Cuba’s only one) stands in the Jardín Madre Teresa de Calucuta and was consecrated by Bartholomew I Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop o …

    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 …

    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 …

    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 …

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