Founded in 1519, on the occasion of its third and definitive settlement next to the splendid bag-shaped bay with the same name, the former Saint Christopher of Havana with privileged location on the north-western coast of the island facing the Atlantic Ocean, became the mandatory stopover of the Spanish fleet of the Indies and an important trading centre, which turned it into the permanent target of corsairs and pirates; a condition that determined the need to defend it and led to the construction of a solid system of castles, forts and other military works strategically located around the bay and on its coastline. It was given the title of city by the king Philip II in 1592 and recognised as capital of the island through a royal decree in 1607. Known as the “Key to the New World” and other denominations such as land of convergence, openness and cultural melting pot, Havana has an unprecedented accumulation of architectural styles that marked different periods. Buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries with a remarkable Hispanic-Arabic influence coexist harmoniously with majestic residential, public and religious constructions from the 18th and 19th centuries, which bear witness of the baroque nature and the eclectic substance of this city, which also shows real architectural icons of neoclassicism, eclecticism and the modern movement.

Havana’s historic centre occupies an area of 2.14 square kilometres, heavily populated and preserving its residential character. It includes both the old town within the former city walls and the area on its western edge named Las Murallas, a new urban development linked to the demolition of that important defensive work in the second half of the 19th century. After fi ve centuries of history, the former walled city is still a compact area full of life and structured from a network of big and small squares and other public spaces, where the narrow streets, the continuous façade line and its permanent link to the sea stand out. The waterfront stands out because of the landscape values, especially related to the port channel, with the legendary fortresses fl anking it, the settlements of Regla and Casablanca on the other side, the old jetties and the impressive facilities of the industrial heritage linked to the port area.

Declared National Monument in 1978, Havana’s historic centre is also considered a prioritised zone for preservation and of high signifi cance for tourism by the Cuban government. In 1982, the old part of the city and its fortifi cation system were declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO and in June 2016 Havana was chosen as one of the Seven Wonder Cities of the Modern World. 

The commendable work of the Offi ce of the Historian has contributed not only to the rehabilitation of the built-up heritage, but also to the comprehensive revitalisation of the area and to the local human development of a territory that has extraordinary architectural and urban values, is a substantial part of the historical memory of the country and treasures the highest concentration of monuments, buildings of high symbolic value, patriotic goods, customs, traditions and expressions of the feeling of the Cuban nation.

Its bay became a port of call for the Spanish crown and consolidated as a gateway to the American Atlantic, Havana grew to become a living legend. The eclectic mix of styles, cultures and sensations can be found in every corner of the city. Between nostalgia, contrasts and a romance that transcends epochs, the village of San Cristóbal de La Habana stands as an enigmatic, cryptic and universal city.