Living in a city like Havana allows you to step out of your house and travel through time. You cross the street and find yourself in the Soviet era. Walk a few blocks, and you’re back in the days when Havana was an extension of Spain, and if you see the new hotels, you might think the island is modernizing, but no.
This is the reality for those of us living in the marvelous city.
That said, it’s hard to choose a favorite historical place. The Office of the Historian and the legendary Eusebio Leal made it so difficult to choose.
Still, everyone tries to pick. In my case, after much thought and discarding many incredible places, I’ll share my choice.
It is: Cathedral Square in Old Havana
I must clarify that I am not religious, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the architectural wonder I’m talking about today.
Perhaps one of the smallest squares in this part of the city. In just a few steps, you have four of the oldest buildings in the city.
The Cathedral
This building alone is worth a visit. It was initially constructed to be a Jesuit oratory. It remained unfinished and without ownership. The Spanish government didn’t know what to do with the land and the half-finished construction.
It is said that after the destruction of the city’s church, it was decided to complete the new parish. According to Ciro Bianchi (one of the city’s foremost historians), it didn’t have the baroque façade we all know.
The Cathedral pays homage to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of the city (the city is named San Cristóbal de La Habana). Saint Christopher was the patron of sailors, travelers, and drivers.
Havana was the most important port of the Spanish Empire in the New World. It was the entry point for Spanish ships into the New World and the exit point for the riches plundered on their way to Europe.
But let’s go inside...
Before the city was named one of the 7 wonders for its history, the square and the buildings underwent intense remodeling, with the Cathedral being the center of this.
The benches you see in the picture are older than all living Cubans; they are said to have been brought in the 19th century. In the background, you can see the figure of Saint Christopher, which, when it arrived in the city, was the largest and heaviest in America.
The building holds many more curiosities, in addition to one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the city, which you can see here.
Returning to the square...
I remember, when I was a child, tourism wasn’t common in this square. But it was my soccer field. With that floor, my friends and I competed as if it were the Santiago Bernabéu. What times!
Now that the square is taken over by tourists, we have around it...
The Museum of Colonial Art (to the left in the photo). We will be visiting it in upcoming posts.
The other two buildings were homes of the Captains General of the island; they are currently still under renovation, but it is said that they will be open for visits very soon.
When I was a child, I was able to visit the one with the yellowest façade in the previous photo. A visit I still remember and look forward to its reopening.
Returning to the theme of this #weekend-engagement, this is my favorite place. The history of the cathedral is hard to believe.
A building without direction that the city transformed into its religious center, and the architects of the time turned into a visual marvel. On the other hand, my own history: I grew up playing in this square with my friends, with the Cathedral watching over me.
In this square, I had fun, grew up, got my scrapes, and today, from time to time, I work in it because I believe it’s one of the places every visitor to the island should know.
It’s something you must do if you come to the island.
On another note, if you can, leave some tip inside the cathedral, as what they collect is used to make food for those in need and to maintain the institution itself.
Be careful with the people around the cathedral; not everyone is as needy as they make you believe. Other than that, visit it, enjoy every inch of the Plaza.
Read you soon!
[dahpilot]
All images are mine.