Santa Clara de Asis Convent and Church, Havana . Cuba

• Cuba 602 e/ Sol y Luz, Old Havana. Cuba
• Destination: Havana
• Open: Daily
• Telephone:
• Write a review

Santa Clara de Asis Convent and Church

Your experience is very valuable for other travelers.

You must rate.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

National Center for Restoration, Preservation and Museology

This convent was the first monastery of nuns erected in the city. It covers an area of four blocks of the historical centre of the city. The exterior part is very simple, lacks of adornments and its spaces are plain like in other conventual constructions at that time.

It is formed by three cloisters of two stories and a garden area. The main cloister includes a wide and luxuriant central courtyard surrounded by corridors limited by sturdy rough stone arcades in the lower storey contrasting with the simple wooden bases of its higher storey.

The other two cloisters are smaller. In one of them, a curious domestic construction stands out in its interior known as Casa del Marino (Sailor House) while in the other the batten roofs of the upper storey are very attractive.

The church owns only one nave and it is roofed with only one batten. It has a high tower which is not easily seen due to its closeness to the street and the lack of forward space allowing its visibility.

In 1922 the nuns left the building and this was acquired by the Secretariat of Public Works that introduced several changes.

Mapa de Santa Clara de Asis Convent and Church

Santa Clara de Asis Convent and Church is located in Havana

Capital of Cuba and the country's administrative, political, cultural and scientific center, it is also the capital of two provinces: City of Havana and Havana. Though only around 280 square miles (727 square kilometers) in size-0.65 percent of the archipelago's total area.

The Old Havana and system of forts led UNESCO to declare it a part of world heritage in 1982. Founded on its present site in 1519, the settlement of San Cristobal de La Habana prospered mainly due to its bay, which was a natural port of call for ships sailing to and from the New World. Starting in 1634, because of its strategic location, San Cristobal 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.

The Cuban capital consists of an immense number of buildings in a wide range of architectural styles, built in the course of nearly five centuries. These styles range from the pre-baroque to the baroque, neo-Gothic, neoclassical, eclectic, art noveau and art-deco, to the modern.

Alejo Carpentier, one of Cuba's most famous authors, called it "the city of columns" and focused attention on its streets, which he considered a perennially rich show of life, humanity and contrasts that was bound to entertain any observer.

Over 14 kilometers of excellent beaches lie to the east of the Cuban capital. To the south, a green belt contributes to a healthful atmosphere.