The Oldest Plaza in Havana

Tuesday, 10 January 2012 17:08 Written by L.Calvo

Central statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Plaza de Armas. Genelizada por euskonews.com

Historic and beautiful. This is the Plaza de Armas en Havana, the welcoming site of the foundations of Cuba's capital; El Templete.

There is also famous Plaza Mayor, which was the center of the village San Cristobal's political and social life in the centuries of the Hispanic colonial domination. It was a place which radiated power and made the laws and norms known to the metropolis. Nowadays it is a popular tourist attraction and an area of dynamic cultural movement.

Not only does El Templete conform to its valuable perimeter, but it intrigues the antique yet eternally majestic Palace of the General Captains where the Museum of Havana City is currently situated. One can also find the Royal Castle, the first fortress constructed in Cuba, which houses one of the most famous weather vanes in existence, la Giraldilla, in its tallest tower. It also shelters the Museum of the Ceramic Arts. On another side, the colonial Palacio del Segundo Cabo is situated. Today it is the headquarters of the Cuban editorials and the traditional, concurrent Sábados del Libro (Book Saturdays).

Finishing off this fabulous, charming rectangle of the plaza, is what used to be the mansion of Condes de Santovenia. Now is one of the most luxurious accommodations of Havana. el Hotel Santa Isabel, which had been visited in his two visits to Havana by the ex-North American presidents, James Carter.

The Plaza de Armas was restored in 1935 as well as in recent years in order to being it back to its original state. In the center is a statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, considered by Cubans as the father of the nation, has been constructed. It is surrounded by four fountains, four royal palms (our national tree), and four miraguanos.

If your trip to this place has not yet been scheduled, I recommend that you include it in your next visit. I hope when you go, that you think of me.

Directions: Tacón Street, between Obispo and O'Reilly, Municipio Habana Vieja.