16 Jan 2016 ~ Plaza de la Catedral

Listening to: Brothers Osbourne ~ Dirt Rich (Pawn Shop)

Along the Malecon (Seafront) in Havana, there is a Neptune statue. It was installed in 1838, and along with 2 other statues, points to the islands growing interest in international Neoclassicism and and a rupture with the proceeding Baroque style.

El Cristo de La Habana is located on the other side of the bay. It was commissioned in 1952 by Marta Batista, wife of the dictator. Jilma Madera is the sculptor and the statue was erected in 1958. Fifteen days after the statue's inauguration, Fidel Castro entered Havana in the Cuban Revolution, and on that day the statue was struck by lightening and the head was destroyed, but subsequently repaired.

It's approximately 66 feet high and weighs almost 320 tons.

I don't recall the name of the building but I liked the statue.

Dominated by two unequal towers, the Catedral de San Cristobal was designed by Italian architect Francesco Borromini. Completed in 1787 it is one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas. The remains of Columbus were brought here from Santo Domingo in 1795 and interred until 1898, when they were moved to Seville Cathedral in Spain. 

The gentleman posing is a professional street artist. He requests 1 cuc (or $1) for each photo. Not a bad way to make a living, as in the 10 minutes we were in the square he made $15!