152 Oficios St. on the corner of Mercaderes St., Old Havana ,
Havana, Cuba
(+53) 78011190
yes
About
Palacio San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal
The actual full official (not exactly snappy, but charming) name for this brand new (Nov. 2010) hotel is "Palacio del Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal Hotel".
History, and modern facilities are combined in this beautiful building which originally belonged to Don Sebastián de Peñalver at the end of the 18th century and which passed onto the successors of the 4th Marques de San Felipe and Santiago at beginning of the 19th century.
The interior minimalist decor of the hotel contrasts with the baroque design of the hotel’s façade and makes the building unique on the St. Francis of Assisi Square. This new hotel, a gem in the heart of the heart of Old Havana, is lucky to be just a few meters away from the St. Francis of Assisi Convent where you can listen to some of the best choirs and chamber music concerts in the city.
From the hotel’s terrace, at the top of its six floors, you can enjoy the atmosphere of one of the main squares in the heart of the city with the Carrara Marble carved fountain Fuente de los Leones sculpted by the Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini.
Calle Oficios, esq Muralla, Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, La Habana
Alejandro de Humboldt Museum
The Museo Alejandro de Humboldt (Alejandro de Humboldt Museum) is located in a Colonial house in Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Square, in Old Havana, Cuba. Its name comes from the German scientist Alejandro von Humboldt, who is seen as the second person to discover Cuba. This is a scientific museum dedicated to biology and its main objective is to preserve research and promote the historical Humboldt’s legacy. This institution enhances the labor of Cuban and international personalities whose contributions are considered relevant for the development of culture in general terms. It exhibits the historical trajectory of the scientific and botanic data he compiled throughout the island at the beginning of the 19th century, as well as a botanic exhibition which is fundamentally made up of ferns. In this museum there is a perfect copy of a Kritosaurus skeleton found in the desert and donated by the Mexican government, as well as an enormous Pterosaur skeleton, which is around 10 meters length. The House also has a conference room with capacity for 100 persons and a specialized library on German literature.
Tacon e/ Obispo y ORelly, Habana Vieja
Palace of the Captains-General (City Museum)
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 of the island from 1781 to 1899 and of the presidency of the republic from 1902 to 1920. The City Museum currently occupies part of the sumptuous halls with permanent exhibition of arts and history of the colonial times and of the beginnings of the 20 th century. The museum exhibits 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.
San Ignacio No.61 (Plaza de la Catedral), Habana Vieja, La Habana
Colonial Art Museum
The Museo de Arte Colonial (Colonial Art Museum) is housed within the oldest construction in Old Havana, the Condes de Casa Bayona Palace, a mansion rebuilt in 1720 by Cuban Governor, Don Luis Chachón. The palace’s Classical patio and coffered ceiling made intricately of wood stand out within this construction. The palace boasts a wonderful location, right in front of the San Cristóbal de La Habana Cathedral. This small museum has a Colonial furniture and decorative art exhibition, amongst which will stand out some pottery with Colonial Cuba motifs, as well as several scenes of Colonial dining rooms and a fantastic collection of ornamental flowers.
Oficios, e/ Amargura y Churruca, Habana Vieja
San Francisco de Asís Square
This square dates back to the first half of the 17th century. Its location, just a few metres from the bay, led to it becoming an important trading square over the years. It is said that around the year 1600 the first fountain of the city could be seen at this square. In 1836 it was replaced by a beautiful fountain made of white Carrara marble by Giuseppe Gaggini, under the good auspices of the Villanueva Count. This fountain is called Fuente de los Leones (Lions Fountain). On its paved area stand two noteworthy buildings: the Monastery and Basilica of San Francisco de Asís, which today houses the Museum of Religious Art and a concert hall. It is also where the Lonja del Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) is located, inspired by Spanish Renaissance architecture and topped by a dome on which a sculpture of the god Mercury stands. Among the houses built around the plaza, the house of the Arostegui family, residence of the Captain Generals until the completion of the City Hall at the end of the 18th century, was erected.