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.

     

    
  • Casa Víctor Hugo

    Casa Víctor Hugo  LH 3

    This institution is supported by donations from Ediciones Boloña, a publishing house of the City Historian’s Office. Its purpose is to make known the work of the famous French author Victor Hugo, as w …

    Habana 1791: The Perfume shop

    Habana 1791: The Perfume shop  LH 3

    Habana 1791: The perfume shop Located in an 18th-century mansion at the corner of Mercaderes and Obrapía, this beautiful shop and laboratory sells 12 varieties of scents or colognes. The bottles are m …

    Parque Rumiñahui

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    The main feature of this tiny but lovely tree-shaded park, which occupies the site of a collapsed colonial building, is a sculpture given to Fidel Castro by Ecuadorean artist Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919- …

    Templo Nacional Masónico

    Templo Nacional Masónico  LH 3

    This building of imposing image is an example of conventionalism at a time when the architectural avant-garde had already paved the way for new, bolder ideas. From that premise, however, this construc …

    Museo de los Bomberos

    Museo de los Bomberos  LH 3

    This singular 1910 Fire Station has a simple but refined façade that features a kind of triumphal arch dominated by a central double-heighted void. Today, it houses a lovely museum about the history o …

    Faro O’Donnell

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    The original lighthouse at the Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro was erected on the Morrillo Semibastion and was fueled by wood until the 17th century, then by gas until the 19th century and finall …

    Casa del Benemérito de las Américas Benito Juárez

    Casa del Benemérito de las Américas Benito Juárez  LH 3

    Housed in the former 18th-century mansion of the Pedroso y Herrera family, this museum is named for Mexican president Benito Juárez, who visited Havana in 1853 and 1862. It has four rooms dedicated to …

    Hotel Presidente

    Hotel Presidente  LH 2

    This is Havana’s first skyscraper and was inaugurated on December 28, 1928. It took its name from the street it is situated in and is the only hotel that features Cuba’s coat of arms on its façade. It …

    Clock Tower

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    Between 1921 and 1924, a clock tower was built on Fifth Avenue. It was designed by New Yorker John H. Duncan, one of the architects that contributed to the layout of the avenue and who also designed t …

    Museo del Naipe Marqués de Prado Ameno

    Museo del Naipe Marqués de Prado Ameno  LH 2

    Opened on May 2, 2001, the small yet immensely impressive Playing Card Museum occupies the ground floor of the Casa del Marqués de Prado Amero, dating from the 17th century and the oldest building in …

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