National Capitol of Cuba
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National Capitol of Cuba | |
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Capitolio Nacional de Cuba | |
General information | |
Town or city | Havana |
Country | Cuba |
Coordinates | 23°08′07″N 82°21′34″W / 23.13528°N 82.35944°W |
Construction started | 1 April 1926 |
Completed | 20 May 1929 |
The National Capitol of Cuba, also known as Capitolio Nacional de La Habana (National Capitol of La Habana), and often simply referred to as El Capitolio (The Capitol), is a public edifice in Havana, the capital of Cuba. The building was commissioned by Cuban president Gerardo Machado and built from 1926 to 1929 under the direction of Eugenio Rayneri Piedra. It is located on the Paseo del Prado, Dragones, Industria, and San José streets in the exact center of Havana.[citation needed]
History
The Havana Capitol building was built on land that was a railroad terminal and used to belong to the Villanueva Railway. The project began in April 1926, during the
"El Capitolio" is 207 meters long and 91 meters wide. Although its design is often compared to the United States Capitol, it is not a replica.[1] "It is similar to that in Washington D.C, but a meter higher, a meter deeper and a meter longer, as well as much richer in detail.[citation needed] To finish its construction they needed more than 5000 workers, 3 years, 3 months and 20 days; as well as approximately 17 million American dollars".[2] Completed in 1929, it was the tallest building in Havana until the 1950s. It houses the world's third largest indoor statue.[citation needed]
On August 30, 2019, the historian of the city Eusebio Leal proclaimed the end of the renovation with the unveiling of the dome.[3]
Building
The cupola, which is stone-clad around a steel frame that was constructed in the United States, is set planimetrically forward on the building to allow for the
The gardens, based on the designs of European gardens consisting of areas of lawn bordered by paths and highlighted by Royal Palm trees, were designed by French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier who also designed the Paseo del Prado.[citation needed]
The 56 steps leading to the main entrance, La Escalinata, is flanked by 6.5 m (21 ft) statues by the Italian artist
The inside of the main hall under the cupola is the Statue of the Republic (La Estatua de la República).
The statue, also by Zanelli, was cast in bronze in Rome in three pieces and assembled inside the building after its arrival in Cuba. It is covered with 22 carat (92%)
Embedded in the floor in the center of the main hall is a replica 25
A range of different lamps is seen throughout the building. These were all designed specifically for the building by Cuban designers and the majority of them were manufactured in France.[citation needed]
In the center of the building are two patios which provide light and ventilation for the offices on the first (ground), third and fourth floors. The north patio features another statue The Rebellious Angel (El Ángel Rebelde) which was donated to the building after the inauguration. There is a small fifth floor and a sixth-floor which gives access only to part of the cupola.[citation needed]
Central portico
A wide granite staircase of 56 steps, 36 meters wide and 16 meters high, leads to the portico of the building. There are two rows of 6 columns of the Ionic order. The pillars stand out with a diameter of 1.55 meters and a height of 14.10 meters. Reasons for the hall, located in all the doors and the lateral panels, are the Boticcino marble squares sculpted by Angelo Zanelli.[citation needed]
On both sides of the end of the staircase are two bronze sculptural groups with granite pedestal by the Italian Angelo Zanelli, one male, and the other female, have a height of 6.70 meters and represent the first progress of human activity and the second the tutelary virtue of the people.[citation needed]
Statue of the Republic
Located in the apse, the Statue of the Republic is the figure of a young woman standing, dressed in a tunic, with a helmet, shield and lance; it weighs 30 tons, is 14.60 meters high, and rests on a marble pedestal of 2.50 meters. It was sculpted by
Gallery
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El Capitolio under construction in May 1929
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Aerial view (1940s)
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La Cámara
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The library
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Eastern facade by night
See also
References
General
- "El Capitolio de la Habana" (in Spanish). Convenciones Capitolio de La Habana. 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
- Rachel Carley (2000). Cuba: 400 Years of Architectural Heritage. Watson-Guptill. p. 224. ISBN 0-8230-1128-3.
- "Capitolio de La Habana" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
- Pedro Quiroga (1998). "El Capitolio: Un emporio en La Habana" (in Spanish). Radio Reloj, La Habana. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
Cited
- ^ "Historia del capitolio". www.capitolio.cu. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "El Capitolio". Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ "Termina la restauración de la cúpula del Capitolio Nacional" (in Spanish). 30 August 2019.
- ^ "Ultimate Guide to Havana Cuba". Retrieved 2021-11-27.