Plaza de la Catedral

Top choice in Habana Vieja


Habana Vieja's most uniform square is a museum to Cuban baroque, with all the surrounding buildings, including the city's beguiling asymmetrical cathedral, dating from the 1700s. Despite this homogeneity, it is actually the newest of the four squares in the Old Town, with its present layout dating from the 18th century.

On the square's eastern side, the Casa del Lombillo was built in 1741 and once served as a post office (a stone-mask ornamental mailbox built into the wall is still in use). Since 2000 it has functioned as an office for the City Historian. On the western side is the majestic Palacio de los Marqueses de Aguas Claras, completed in 1760 and widely lauded for the beauty of its shady Andalusian patio. Today it houses the Restaurante Paris. The south side is taken up by the resplendent Palacio de los Condes de Casa Bayona, built in 1720, which today hosts the Museo de Arte Colonial.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Habana Vieja attractions

1. Museo de Arte Colonial

0.02 MILES

The resplendent Palacio de los Condes de Casa Bayona in Plaza de la Catedral, built in 1720, today functions as the Museo de Arte Colonial, a small museum…

3. Catedral de la Habana

0.05 MILES

Described by novelist Alejo Carpentier as 'music set in stone,' Havana's incredible cathedral, dominated by two unequal towers and framed by a theatrical…

4. Taller Experimental de Gráfica

0.05 MILES

Easy to miss at the end of a short cul-de-sac, this is one of Havana's most cutting-edge art workshops, which also offers the possibility of engraving…

5. Edificio Santo Domingo

0.09 MILES

The block behind Plaza de Armas was the original home of Havana's university, from 1728 to 1902. The university was once part of a convent. The office…

6. Calle Obispo

0.11 MILES

Narrow, chockablock Calle Obispo (Bishop's Street), Habana Vieja's main interconnecting artery, is packed with art galleries, shops, music venues and…

7. Palacio del Segundo Cabo

0.11 MILES

Wedged into Plaza de Armas' northwestern corner, this beautiful baroque building was constructed in 1772 as the headquarters of the Spanish vice-governor…

8. Museo de la Ciudad

0.12 MILES

Even with no artifacts, Havana's city museum would be a tour de force, courtesy of the opulent palace in which it resides. Filling the whole western side…

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