Travel Guide To Cuba

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Cuba Architecture Guide – The Capitolio

The Capitol building in Havana City is considered one of the six important palaces globally speaking, and experts assure that this building is an almost perfect engineering masterpiece, completed during the first decades of the 20th century. Luxurious and majestic, the Capitol is a must-see place for both nationals and foreigners while in Havana City. It is classic to take a picture with one of the very old cameras that surround the building in high quantities. Today, it is the national headquarters of the Science Academy of Cuba and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA, acronym in Spanish).

The Capitol was inaugurated on May 20, 1929. The area is around 338 thousand square meters and was built in three years and 50 days, beginning on April 1, 1926, with an approximate cost of 17 million Cuban pesos, which at that time were equivalent to U.S dollars and a fortune to many. The history of Architecture has not witnessed many such instances where a monument of that greatness was built in such a brief period of time. The Louvre in Paris, the Basilica of Saint Peter and many others took hundreds of years before being finally built; the Escorial in Spain was finally constructed after 22 years under the reign of Phillip XI, just to give examples. The name of this building was the final result of a public survey promoted in order to put an end to the debate between Congress Palace and Capitol.

For building this immense construction, located in the quadrant formed by Prado St, Dragones St, Industria St, and San José St, more than 8 thousand workers were hired; and 5 million bricks, 38 thousand cubic meters of sand, 40 thousand cubic meters of stones, 150 thousand cement bags, 3500 tons of structural steel, and 2 thousand tons of belaying pins were used. Its decorations and all the adjustments took one and a half years, and its great rooms keep large artistic treasures. The statue that symbolizes the Republic of Cuba stands out easily. Made by the Italian artist Angelo Zanelli, this statue is regarded as the third largest statue under roof in the world. It is placed in the Salón de los Pasos Perdidos (Room of the Lost Steps) and at its base is marked kilometer 0 of all the highways and roads of the country, a mark that also served to separate the two legislative bodies: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The statue of the Republic was made of 22-carat laminated gold with a height of 17 meters from its onyx marble base. Current estimations say that only the Golden Buddha in Nava, Japan, and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, USA exceed the height of the Havana sculpture and its 49 tons. The gardens of the Capitol, a great attraction for the pedestrians, were conceived by the French architect J. T. Forestier, a specialist in this field; and Mister Heitzler and Mister Leveau, who had vast experiences in planning large modern cities, suggested some variants to the original design.

Today, the Capitol is a Convention Center. Its ample rooms have served for exhibitions, solemn acts, business meetings, and other types of meetings. Destined to spread the notions of this great edification both for Cubans and foreigners, the impressive granite staircase of the Capitol welcomes the visitor climbing the 55 steps.

About the Author

This introduction to Cuba's Capitol building was written by a Cuba travel expert from Cuba For Less, a specialist in fully customizable Cuba vacation packages.

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travel guide to cuba
travel guide to cuba
travel guide to cuba