Capitol Building

The Capitol building: A Powerful Presence in Havana

One of Havana’s best known landmarks, the Capitol building, is considered the world’s third most important of its kind for its monolithic construction, and it was the only one built in the 20th century, now available for your Havana holidays.

The area where this concrete, steel, bronze and marble architectural giant lies today was a swamp until the 19th century, when it was dredged and turned into the first botanical garden the Cuban capital had. Like its American counterpart, the Capitol building was built to be the seat of the Republic’s House of Representatives and Senate. The huge area the Capitol building occupies is delimited by Prado, Dragones, Industria and San Jose streets.

Its final cost was 17 million pesos, which at the time were equivalent to the same amount in US dollars. Anyone who passes by the Havana’s Capitol building is amazed by its impressive renaissance dome, which resembles The San Peter Basilica in Rome. It is said to be the fifth most important exponent of this architectural style in the world.

One of the numerous treasures housed in the building is the bronze and 22k gold statue symbolizing the Republic. Including its Egyptian onyx marble base, this majestic sculpture is 17 meters tall, thus being world’s third tallest indoor statue, only surpassed by the Golden Buddha of Nara, in Japan, and the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington.

The Capitol building is also considered the third most important of its kind in the world for its monolithic construction, and it was the only one built in the 20th century. A replica diamond embedded in the floor in front of the statue marks kilometre 0 of the country’s Carretera Central (central highway network). This point was first marked by a real 25 karat diamond said to have belonged to Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar, but it was stolen in 1946. Although it was found later, now a replica of the diamond occupies its place, for obvious security reasons. The original diamond is kept in the vaults of Cuban Central Bank.

Next to the Capitol building is the Gran Teatro de La Habana, venue of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, as well as the Hotel Inglaterra, one of the most symbolic hotels in Havana. There are four or five other important hotels nearby, and just across the street is Los Nardos, one of the best restaurants in the area. Right behind the building is the world famous Partagás cigar factory, a must see in your Havana holidays.