The settlement of San Cristóbal de La Habana, which was founded in the southwestern part of the island in 1514, was moved to the northern coast of the port of Carenas in 1519. Every November 16, the anniversary of its founding is observed with a picturesque traditional ceremony at The Templete, around an ancient silk-cotton tree in whose shade —according to the oral tradition— the first meeting of the town council and the first Mass were held.
Starting in 1634, because of its strategic location, San Cristóbal de La Habana was considered the key to the New World, as attested to by royal letters patent, and the main defense of the West Indies.
This was one of the main historic reasons for the subsequent development of a city noted for its architectural diversity and whose nucleus —which still contains an exceptional collection of buildings put up around public squares, both large and small— and system of forts led UNESCO to declare it a part of World Heritage in 1982. |
Pinar del Rio
National Capitol
