Plaza de Armas

CA5
Top Pick
City squares / parks
CA Ranking: 5
Admission: None
Limited by Obispo, O’Reilly, Cuba & Baratillo, Habana Vieja
  • The early city was formally founded in 1519 on the northeast side of what would soon be laid out as Plaza de la Iglesia—named for the simple church that stood here until 1741, when it was destroyed following the explosion of the HMS Invicible in the harbor (the mast landed on the church). The square had by then already been cobbled, although it was renamed Plaza de Armas—essentially, “Parade Ground”—and became the main administrative center of the city.

    In colonial times, the square was the site of military parades, musical concerts and formal evening promenades, and it maintained its political and administrative role until the mid-20th century. It is surrounded by buildings spanning four centuries.

    In the center of the square is Parque Céspedes, pinned by a white marble statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, initiator of the Cuban wars of independence and Father of the Homeland. Surrounded by royal palms and ceiba trees, the statue was made by Cuban artist Sergio López Mesa and replaced a statue of Spanish King Fernando VII, installed in 1834 when Miguel Tacón commissioned a remodeling that shaped the square we see today. (The original statue of Fernando VII stands in the loggia of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, on the square’s west side; he holds in his hand a scroll that when seen from the side gives the impression that he’s holding an erect penis.)

    Note that the street on the west side of the plaza is a parquet of wood. This, supposedly so that passing carriages would not disturb the governor’s sleep. Originally of long-lasting ironwood, the street was recently relaid with blocks of inferior quality and is deteriorated. Immeditely south of this street, at the plaza’s southwest corner, 17th-century school for orphan girls is now a popular bar-restaurant: La Mina.

     

    
  • Hotel Sevilla

    Hotel Sevilla  LH 3

    After the city walls began to be demolished in 1863, construction works for a luxury hotel began on El Prado Avenue, one of the city’s most popular promenades. Manuel López and Urbano González, owners …

    Museo Numismático

    Museo Numismático  LH 3

    Valued in approx 50 million dollars, the museum’s collections features medals, coins and banknotes from around the world, including an early 20 peso coin, the only one still existing of the ten produc …

    Cruz Verde

    Cruz Verde  LH 3

    The corner of Amargura and Mercaderes is known as Cruz Verde (Green Cross) due to a green-painted cross affixed to the northwest-facing cornerstone. The cross is one of twelve that were to be found al …

    Alameda de Paula

    Alameda de Paula  LH 3

    The construction of the Alameda de Paula, one of Havana’s first promenades, was commissioned by Captain General Felipe de Fondesviela, member of the court of King Carlos III, and built by architect An …

    Fachada del Teatro Fausto

    Fachada del Teatro Fausto  LH 3

    Built in 1915, it was reconstructed and remodeled in 1938 according to a project which was awarded the Gold Medal by the National Architects’ Association. Its pure Art Deco façade is faced with a mixt …

    Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras

    Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras  LH 3

    The Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital opened on December 3, 1982. In the late 1950s the dictator Batista planned the construction of a new building for the National Bank of Cuba on the grounds where the Ho …

    Casa de Dionisio Velasco

    Casa de Dionisio Velasco  LH 3

    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 mo …

    Fuente de los Leones

    Fuente de los Leones  LH 3

    Designed in 1836 by Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini, the Carrara marble Fuente del Conde de Villanueva is popularly known as “Fuente de los Leones” for its four lions, one to each corner, resting on p …

    Edificio del Retiro Odontológico

    Edificio del Retiro Odontológico  LH 3

    In 1953, architect Antonio Quintana won the competition for the design of a building which would house doctors’ offices, stores and other public spaces. The use of brise-soleil, popularized by the Fre …

    Calle San Lázaro

    Calle San Lázaro  LH 3

    Stretching 14 blocks, this street takes its name from the San Lázaro Hospital built in 1746. It was s=successively renamed as Calle Ancha del Norte, Calle del Basurero, Avenida Antonio Maceo and Aveni …

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