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What to see in your holidays to Cuba.
One of the most amazing buildings in Havana is The Capitolio. Ever since it was finished in the 1929's, this jewel of the Cuban architecture, has turned into, the pride of the local and the delight of the holiday makers.
Its precedent is as significant as its design. In the quarter where today's Capitol raises up, an immense fenland existed which housed the foremost botanical garden ever built in Cuba around the 19th Century.
The grounding for the project of The Capitol of Havana took decades but once the foundation started it was concluded in only three years, something very extraordinary for a building of its size. That was an age of economic instability and immense unemployment and thousands of people found a post in this development.
The imposing building was unveiled on Thursday May 20, 1929 in the afternoon. Anybody and everybody that was a personality in Cuba attended the opening, among those was the President of The Republic Gerardo Machado.
The price tag of the building reached 17 million dollars in those days which at present will be something around 10 times more expensive. All the workers drawn in project and construction were locals including the prestigious architect Eugenio Raynieri Piedra.
Its dome is second in height to the tower at the Square of The Revolution. The style of the entire construction is an extraordinary expression of the Neoclassic architecture in Cuba. The portico it guarded by 17 enormous ionic pillars and 3 colossal mahogany doors imprinted with events of the Cuban history.
Right under the dome the third tallest statue indoors in the world can be admired. It is a maiden made of bronze wearing a long spear representing the republic of Cuba. It was brought from Italy and it was designed by the famous artist Angelo Zanelli.
The Capitol building housed the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate since it was built until 1959. After the triumph of the Revolution it became the largest museum in Cuba showing visitors the history of the pseudo republican times. Today sharing the space with the museum The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment has found in The Capitol the perfect seat.
Visiting The Capitol is like traveling back in time. Absolutely every thing in the museum is kept impeccably the same way it was when the building was finished. If you are staying in a hotel in the old town area it will take you few minutes walk to this site. There is an entrance fee to pay (4.00 CUC) so as you can see it is not expensive and it is worth every cent of the price.
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