Palacio de los Capitanes Generales - La Habana, Cuba
Posted by: 
denben
N 23° 08.382 W 082° 21.008
17Q E 361770 N 2559624
Considered the most important example of baroque architecture in the city, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales is located on the west side of Plaza de Armas in Old Havana, Cuba.
Waymark Code: WMVA27
Location: Cuba
Date Posted: 03/21/2017
Views: 2
The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales is the former official residence of the governors (Captains General) of Havana. It is home to the Museum of the City of Havana (Museo de la Ciudad). It houses exhibitions of art and historical artefacts and many of the rooms are preserved with their original Colonial decoration. Above the main entrance is the Spanish royal crown with the shield and the necklace of the Caballeresque Order of the Golden Fleece.
The ground floor and mezzanine contain artwork and artefacts from Havana's past. "La Giradilla", a statue that became the symbol of the city, and was originally located on the tower of the nearby Castillo de la Real Fuerza, stands at the foot of the stairs leading to the mezzanine. The Cenotaph, the oldest colonial monument in Cuba, taken from the original Parroquial Mayor church, is on display in one of the rooms on the lower floor, and another room houses relics from the Espada Cemetery, including the tomb of the French artist Jean Baptiste Vermay. The Espada Cemetery was the first cemetery in the city, founded by Juan José Diaz de Espada in 1806. Also on display are some of the original stone baths in the shape of a nautilus shell and a 19th-century fire engine manufactured in London.
On the top floor the rooms of the governor's residence are preserved with much of the original furniture and decoration. The Hall of Heroic Cuba contains important objects from the wars of independence and many flags of national significance including the flag of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, the "Father of the Homeland" (Padre de la Patria). The building also houses the Office of the City Historian, headed by Eusebio Leal, which is responsible for the renovation work in Old Havana.
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