Manzana de Gómez

CA4
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Eclectic
CA Ranking: 4
Admission: n-a
Limited by Neptuno, Monserrate, Obispo and Zulueta Streets, Habana Vieja
  • Owned by Julián de Zulueta, construction work began in 1890 according to the project designed by architect Pedro Tomé Veracruisse; however, still unfinished, it was sold to Andrés Gómez Mena, who completed the first floor. Four other floors were subsequently added from 1916 to 1918, all of which were designed around a central courtyard, which ensured natural lighting and ventilation. The ground floor, which was surrounded by wide galleries with inner passageways that met in a rotunda, was set aside for shops, while the upper floors housed business offices, law firms, notary’s offices and other. It held over 500 departments and it was estimated that a floating population of 25,000 people would visit the place every day.

    (under restoration)

    
  • Templo Nacional Masónico

    Templo Nacional Masónico  LH 3

    This building of imposing image is an example of conventionalism at a time when the architectural avant-garde had already paved the way for new, bolder ideas. From that premise, however, this construc …

    Iglesia del Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje

    Iglesia del Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje  LH 3

    Erected in 1640 simultaneously with the Plaza del Cristo around the Ermita del Humilladero–the final station of the Vía Crucis or procession of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, which started …

    Museo de los Bomberos

    Museo de los Bomberos  LH 3

    This singular 1910 Fire Station has a simple but refined façade that features a kind of triumphal arch dominated by a central double-heighted void. Today, it houses a lovely museum about the history o …

    Faro O’Donnell

    Faro O’Donnell  LH 3

    The original lighthouse at the Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro was erected on the Morrillo Semibastion and was fueled by wood until the 17th century, then by gas until the 19th century and finall …

    Casa del Benemérito de las Américas Benito Juárez

    Casa del Benemérito de las Américas Benito Juárez  LH 3

    Housed in the former 18th-century mansion of the Pedroso y Herrera family, this museum is named for Mexican president Benito Juárez, who visited Havana in 1853 and 1862. It has four rooms dedicated to …

    Maqueta de la Habana Vieja

    Maqueta de la Habana Vieja  LH 3

    This captivating and incredibly detailed scale model (1:500) of the old city is a must-see while exploring Habana Vieja, of which it provides a great overall perspective. Measuring 8 meteres long by 6 …

    Fundación Alejo Carpentier (Casa de la Conde de la Reunión)

    Fundación Alejo Carpentier (Casa de la Conde de la Reunión)  LH 3

    On Empedrado Street, between Cuba and San Ignacio, a few doors from the famous Bodeguita del Medio, stands this building which belonged to Don Santiago de la Cuesta, Conde de la Reunión. Its style is …

    Zoológico de La Habana

    Zoológico de La Habana  LH 3

    Opened in 1939, this is Cuba’s oldest zoo. It is also known as Zoológico de 26 and is one of the most popular places for Cuban families to visit. And although there are many different species, monkeys …

    Palacio de la Artesanía (Casa de Don Mateo Pedroso)

    Palacio de la Artesanía (Casa de Don Mateo Pedroso)  LH 3

    Strategically located on Cuba Street between Cuarteles and Peña Pobre, it looks out onto the bay. Noteworthy in this 18-century mansion is the 32 meter-long continuous balcony on its façade, one of th …

    Edificio López Serrano

    Edificio López Serrano  LH 3

    It is considered the first Cuban skyscraper as it reproduces, on a modest scale, the model of tall New York buildings, conceived with layered fittings in order to let air and light in. The linear and …

    « 13 of 22 pages »