Plaza Vieja in Havana. Photo courtesy of twip.org.
It´s not a city that really boasts of them —although it could— like other cities I know, but the history and development (especially at the beginning) of Havana´s San Cristóbal has a lot to do with five of its great plazas.
That is, Plaza de Armas (also known as Mayor), a fundamental plaza of all Spanish colonies on the continent, the San Francisco, Santo Cristo and Ciénaga (which for many years has been Plaza Catedral) Plazas, and finally, the plaza that began construction in 1587, but which did not materialize until the second half of the seventeenth century: Plaza Vieja.
Out of them all, I prefer Plaza Vieja, as well as the countless tourists who visit it daily. It´s framed by four streets, Muralla, Mercaderes, Teniente Rey and San Ignacio; and from there, it became a space to discuss and get recent information about the city, commercial transactions and of course, everyday issues, a spot to relax. Also, at one point, its superb fountain served as a water supply.
For that reason, many national aristocrats chose this centrical, lively place to construct their mansions, a clear example being The Count of Jaruco´s majestic palace, built in the first half of the eighteenth century, which today still serves as the state administrative body, the Cuban Fund of Cultural Goods.
Today if you walk around Plaza Vieja, you can revel in its rich architectural styles of its significant buildings, walk around its reconstructed pavement, and enjoy places such as La Taberna de la Muralla, the exclusive Paul & Shark boutique, the Cámera Oscura, the Santa Cruz Beltrán Hotel and the Santo Ángel Restaurant, among many others.
A highly recommended spot, to tour a place from another time, which has not lost any of its legitimate charms.
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