Palacio de la Marquesa de Villalba

CA3
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Neo-classical
CA Ranking: 3
Admission: n-a
Egido e/ Dragones y Monte, Habana Vieja
  • One of the most majestic buildings in Havana, it was partly built on the sight of the old wall that surrounded the city, and it is said that the stones of the wall were used in its construction. It was, at the time, the largest Cuban building for living purposes, with a surface area of 2,300 square meters, ground floor, mezzanine and main floor.

    A notable characteristic is the harmony achieved in the series of arches in the portal, in which the Ionic order is predominant, and the windows of the main floor, closer to the Corinthian order. The wrought-iron banister is in keeping with the trend of the times, but the splendid door made of the same material is exceptional. The top floor is now home to the dance academy Sociedad Rosalía de Castro.

     

    
  • H.Upmann Cigar Factory

    H.Upmann Cigar Factory  LH 3

    The H.Upmann cigar factory was relocated here a few years ago from Centro Habana. The brand, established in 1844 by German businessmen and brothers Herman and August Upmann, is one of the oldest in th …

    Casa de Masía L’Ampurdá

    Casa de Masía L’Ampurdá  LH 3

    Another modernist gem by Rotllant, who on this occasion proclaimed his Catalan ancestry. Like in Dámaso Gutiérrez’s home, the stylistic harmony between interiors and exteriors surprises pleasingly. Th …

    Museo de la Pintura Mural

    Museo de la Pintura Mural  LH 3

    The Museum of Mural Painting exhibits some beautifully restored original frescoes in one of the oldest surviving houses in the city, owned by Antón Recio, important figure of 16th-century Havana. Open …

    Hotel Florida

    Hotel Florida  LH 3

    The 1836 Hotel Florida is a beautifully restored colonial mansion with a splendid neoclassical frontage, with Corinthian columns, and an atmospheric central courtyard. The hotel’s 25 rooms, which have …

    Museo Nacional de Historia Natural

    Museo Nacional de Historia Natural  LH 3

    Despite appearing to be of the colonial era, the building on the plaza’s southwest side dates from the early 20th-century, when it served as the U.S. Embassy in the years immediately following indepen …

    Parque Simón Bolívar

    Parque Simón Bolívar  LH 3

    North on Mercaderes, you’ll reach Parque Simón Bolívar on the corner of Calle Obrapía. In addition to a statue of the Latin American independence movement leader, the park has a ceramic mural by Venez …

    Parque Mariana Grajales

    Parque Mariana Grajales  LH 3

    Ocupying a whole block in El Vedado, Mariana Grajales Park is right across the Saúl delgado High School. The monument in the center of the park is that of Mariana Grajales, mother of Lt. General Anton …

    Escuela Nacional de Ballet

    Escuela Nacional de Ballet  LH 3

    This is the biggest ballet school in the world and the most prestigious one in Cuba, with approximately 3,000 students. The school goes back to 1931 with the creation of the Escuela Nacional de Ballet …

    Memorial a las Víctimas del Maine

    Memorial a las Víctimas del Maine  LH 3

    This is a memorial in front of the Hotel Nacional dedicated to the 266 people who died when the second-class pre-dreadnought armor cruiser USS Maine sank due to an explosion in Havana harbor on Februa …

    Casa Museo de África

    Casa Museo de África  LH 3

    The 17th-century townhouse mansion at Obrapia #157 originally served as a shop selling snuff. Today, as the House of Africa, it displays objects of different African cultures, especially ivory carving …

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