The origin of this beautiful popular square, situated between San Pedro, Oficios y Amargura streets, goes back to 1628. Two buildings of significant importance flank its large cobbled space: the Convent and the Lesser Basilica, whose tower for many years was considered the highest point of the town. Given its location very close to the bay, it soon became a commercial square and a source of livelihood for the people of Havana. The Covent and the Basilica are now a concert hall and the Museum of Religious Art.Place: Ciudad de La Habana. Old Havana.
The Malecón is the largest bench in the world and also one of the most popular sites of Havana. The first project for the construction of this magnificent seawall dates back to the beginning of the 19th Century. The wall borders 7 Km of the northern coastline of the city, from the entrance to the bay (Castillo de La Punta) all the way to La Chorrera fort at the entrance to the Almendares River.
The construction of the largest of all the Spanish military fortresses concluded in 1774 and its presence exerted a deterring effect on the enemies of the country. It occupies an area of 10 hectares and consists of bulwarks, barracks, moats, covered roads, squares and warehouses. On January 3, 1959, Commander Ernesto Che Guevara militarily seized the fortress and established his headquarters there, which is now a museum that exhibits personal documents and valuable testimonies of the Heroic Guerrilla. Every evening the Cannon is Blast Ceremony is held in one of its squares at 9:00 pm.
The oldest space of the city surrounded by the most important political, military, religious and civil buildings of the town: la Real Casa de Correos (1772-90), Palacio del Segundo Cabo and Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (1776-91). In 1955, a statue of the Father of the Homeland, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, stands in the center of the square.
The castle is located in Old Havana, in an attractive area of important architectural, urban, cultural and social values. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is also the oldest fortress of the former fortification system of Havana. A replica of the La Giraldilla, the symbol of the city, can be seen on the highest tower of the castle (the original is in the Museum of the City).
Currently the venue of the Office of the Historian of Havana, the palace was built in 1776 and has been given several functions: official residence of the Spanish governors, Presidential Palace and Municipal Palace of Havana. The City Museum currently occupies part of the sumptuous halls that exhibit valuable treasures such as: the first Cuban flag, personal effects of the heroes of Cuba: Jose Martí, Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo together with a priceless collection of colonial furniture, carriages and other works of art.
