| Duration: | 1 Day(s) - 0 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Full Day Tours |
San Francisco square, named after the Basilica de San Francisco de Asis located there since the 1500s. Public buildings were built in the surroundings until they were moved to the Plaza de Armas in 1791. In that century, the tower of the San Francisco convent was built.
The Lonja del Comercio (stock market) and the Aduana (Customs House) were built early in the 20th century giving the square a commercial character to the point of using the already abandoned convent as a warehouse. Now the old convent houses a concert hall and a museum and the square is a meeting point for Cuban families.
Explore More About San Francisco Square:
The spacious Plaza de San Francisco de Asís is one of the main squares in Havana and dates to colonial times. Visit the pretty park to appreciate the colonial buildings which flank it and to see some impressive statues. It is also a great place to watch locals go about their day and soak up the Cuban atmosphere.
The cobbled plaza is opposite the Havana harbor in the heart of the Old Havana. It dates to the 16th century, during a time when great Spanish ships would have frequently docked in the port on their long Atlantic passages. A thriving market began in the 1500s and many wealthy merchants built their impressive homes facing the central plaza. See the beautiful Basilica and Convent de San Francisco de Asís, which dominates the south side of the square and which today houses the Museum of Sacred Art.
Stand in the middle of the square to appreciate the impressive buildings around it. Find the neoclassical Lonja del Comercio (Commercial Exchange), which dates to 1907, as well as several restored colonial buildings. The Spanish Renaissance Customs House was built in 1914 and today acts as a cruise ship terminal.
Seek out the statues in the plaza. The white marble Fuente de Los Leones (Fountain of the Lions) was carved by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Gaggini in 1836. Just outside of the church is El Caballero de Paris, which was built in honor of a homeless man who regaled the city’s residents with his philosophies in the 1950s. In 2012 the statue of La Conversación by a French artist was added to the square. There are also figures of Chopin and Mother Teresa here.
