Page 91 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

CENTRO HABANA AND PR ADO  89

military and administrative Cristóbal de Roda and built in
buildings. The monumental 1590–1630, it was part of the
grandeur of this Neo-Classical city’s first line of defence,
building, considered the finest together with the much larger
example of 19th-century Castillo de los Tres Reyes del
architecture in Cuba, is still Morro on the other side of the
striking. The mansion is now bay. A large floating chain of
the seat of the Instituto wooden and bronze rings,
de Historia de Cuba. an ingenious device added
Sadly, it is not officially by the Italian engineer The Museo de la Música, an example of
open to the public, Antonelli in the late eclectic architecture
but upon request the 16th century, connected
porter allows visitors to the two fortresses. It 9 Museo Nacional
go into the courtyard to was stretched tightly as de la Música
admire the impressive soon as an enemy ship
marble staircases, was sighted, to block Calle Capdevila 1, e/ Habana y Aguiar.
Baroque arches, access to the port. In the Map 4 E1. Tel 7861 9846, 7863 0052.
splendid wrought open space in front of Closed for restoration until August
Façade of the Partagás cigar factory with its prominent pediments iron with Imperial the Castillo are the 2017. & 8
motifs and the two three cannons to
inner gardens with which the chain The building (1905) that
fountains made of The monument to General was tied. houses the National Music
Carrara marble. Máximo Gómez The adjacent Museum is a mixture of
open space across different styles, a perfect
the road has several monuments example of 20th-century eclec-
7 Paseo del Prado that are more important tic architecture. It was the
historically than artistically. In residence of a family of opera
See pp90–91.
the middle is the equestrian lovers, whose guests included
statue of Generalissimo Máximo such illustrious figures as the
8 Castillo de Gómez, the hero of the wars great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso
San Salvador of independence, by Italian and the Spanish poet Federico
García Lorca.
sculptor Aldo Gamba (1935).
de la Punta Behind this, a dilapidated The museum was founded
chapel is used daily for stamp in 1971, and contains the
Malecón y Paseo de Martí (Prado).
Map 4 D1. Tel 7860 3196. exhibitions and history lectures. largest collection of trad itional
Open 10am–6pm Wed–Sun.& It originally belonged to the musical instruments in Cuba,
Real Cárcel prison, where José gathered by the ethnologist
A modest fortified block on Martí was kept for 16 years for Fernando Ortiz, a pioneer in
the west bank of the port subversive activities against the study of Cuba’s African
entrance, this fortress (castillo) the Spanish crown. Some cells roots. Besides the most
played a crucial role in the past still stand, as does a section complete collection of African
as part of the defence system of the wall against which drums in the world, there is
of the capital. Today, it is a some medical students were the piano of singer and
modest three-room museum executed on 27 November 1871 composer Bola de Nieve
comprising naval-themed as punishment for rebelling (see p34) and 40 guitars
exhibits along with displays against Spanish rule. A used by legendary figures of
on the history of the fortress. cenotaph in their honour 20th-century Cuban music,
Designed by Giovanni Bautista stands in the Columbus such as the Trío Matamoros
Antonelli, Juan de Tejeda and cemetery (see p108). and Sindo Garay. Also on show
are gramophones
and phonographs,
photos and famous
composers’ original
manuscripts. In the
foyer is a music
stand with the score
of the Bayamo, the
Cuban national
anthem. Visitors can
consult specialist
Cuban and foreign
periodicals, as well
as the archive of rare
The Castillo de la Punta ramparts and the Morro fortress behind musical documents.

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