Havana

Havana

Since it was founded in 1519, the Ciudad de La Habana is certainly the pearl of the capitals of the New World.
The last stop for Spanish ships on the route from the Indies back to Europe, Havana has kept the souvenirs of its historic past with its fortresses and ramparts built in the 17th century as a sea wall.
Its historic center, la Habana Vieja, built over the course of colonial occupation by the Spanish, the British and then the Americans, earned its place on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in 1982.

The atmosphere of dilapidation and bubbling life that reigns in Havana form an astonishing contrast for the visitor. Sumptuous palaces border along side regular residential neighborhoods. Its inhabitants are piled into buildings loaded with history and former splendors, divided into living spaces; the famous solares.
For a half century, the capital has suffered from a lack of maintenance and the means to restore its architectural heritage. If Havana is trying to put on a new face for the tourists, for the average Cuban, it's the same old thing.

Architecture.

From the sumptuous palaces of Spanish lords to the beautiful tropical Art Deco style villas, Cuba presents a unique and inestimable architectural heritage built over the centuries. On the island, Baroque stands next to Art Nouveau and the dilapidated state of things complements the magnificence of the villas and palaces built to the glory of the colonists. In Havana, where the major part of Cuba's architectural heritage is concentrated, there are residences that display the different successive architectural styles which invaded Cuba over the course of its history: hispano-moorish, advanced baroque, new rococo, neoclassic from the 19th century, and Art Nouveau from the early 20th century.

The historical center of Havana, listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites, is the legacy of the Spanish Catholic Bourgeoisie who invested its riches in the construction of prestigious residences. As you walk the streets of the city, shutters open up to splendid interiors. The patios and windows are colored in medio punto, a typically Cuban architectural creation. They are something like stained-glass windows, colorful and flowery, in the middle of neoclassical arcades.