The distinctly non-communist fairytale crown atop a wrought-iron archway is something of a giveaway for one of Havana’s most delightful gardens, the Jardín Diana de Gales, inaugurated in 2000 in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. The tiny garden sits just north of the Lonja de Commercio at one corner of Plaza de San Francisco.
At its center is a 3-meter-tall Cubist column by acclaimed Cuban artist Alfredo Sosabravo. There’s also an engraved Welsh slate and stone plaque from Althorp, Diana’s childhood home, donated by the British Embassy, which fundedr the garden.
The austere mid-20th-century building towering immediately north of the garden is the headquarters of Cuba’s Navy.
This is a place to come when you want to take the heat out of the day. Comfortably bathed in shade from its leafy surrounds, it is something of a hidden gem that is worth seeking out for footsore sightseers of Havana.
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