Small museum of religious objects within Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís.

©Diana Rita Cabrera/Lonely Planet

Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís

Habana Vieja


Originally constructed in 1608 and rebuilt in baroque style from 1719 to 1738, this church-convent ceased to have a religious function in the 1840s after being 'desecrated' by the Protestant British during the Seven Years' War. In the late 1980s crypts and religious objects were excavated; these were later incorporated into the Museo de Arte Religioso, which displays religious paintings, silverware, woodcarvings and ceramics. Visitors can examine the convent's old cloisters and climb the rickety tower for an extra CUC$1.

The former church is more famous today as Havana's premier classical-music venue. Weekly concerts (6pm Saturday) are held in the nave, which benefits from excellent acoustics.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Habana Vieja attractions

1. Jardín Madre Teresa de Calcuta

0.02 MILES

Passers-by usually miss this tree-filled oasis at Plaza de San Francisco de Asís’ southeastern corner, where the remains of some of Cuba’s best-known…

2. El Caballero de París

0.03 MILES

A statue outside Plaza San Francisco de Asís' famous church depicts El Caballero de París, a hirsute street person who roamed Havana during the 1950s,…

3. Coche Mambí

0.03 MILES

To the side of the Palacio de Gobierno on Churruca is the Coche Mambí, a 1900 train car built in the US and brought to Cuba in 1912. Put into service as…

4. Fuente de los Leones

0.04 MILES

The cobbled Plaza de San Francisco de Asís' oldest and most impressive statue is the white-marble Fuente de los Leones, carved by Italian sculptor…

5. Casa de Carmen Montilla

0.05 MILES

An important art gallery that is named after a celebrated Venezuelan painter who maintained a studio here until her death in 2004. Spread across three…

6. Plaza de San Francisco de Asís

0.06 MILES

Facing Havana harbor, the breezy Plaza de San Francisco de Asís first grew up in the 16th century when Spanish galleons stopped quayside on their passage…

7. La Conversación

0.07 MILES

Making up a trio of sculptures in Plaza San Francisco de Asís, La Conversación was added in 2012, donated by the French ambassador as a gesture of Franco…

8. Museo Alejandro Humboldt

0.07 MILES

German scientist Alexander von Humboldt is often referred to as the 'second discoverer' of Cuba, but his huge Cuban legacy goes largely unnoticed by…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "cuba/havana/habana-vieja/attractions/iglesia-y-monasterio-de-san-francisco-de-asis/a/poi-sig/370233/1341260",
      "destination": "Habana-Vieja",
      "continent": "Caribbean",
      "country": "Cuba",
      "city": "Havana",
      "neighborhood": "Habana-Vieja",
      "position": "superzone"
    }