Malecon, Havana’s seawall — More than just a long wall — II

Starting from La Punta esplanade and the entrance to the tunnel, we invite you to go around the Avenida del Puerto where great monuments convey prestige to the first face of the city. Place where a group of busts and dedications can go unnoticed to the common passer-by, but we’re pretty sure, it will be very attractive visiting and learning about them.

From Venezuela to Havana

The first of these monuments is the one dedicated to the Venezuelan general Sebastian Francisco de Miranda Rodriguez — known, simply as Francisco Miranda — who is also called “the first universal Venezuelan.”

The work erected on his memory is situated next to the San Salvador de la Punta Castle. It’s a statue staring at the bay waters which saw him arrived at Havana on August 4th, 1870. This sculptural piece is a replica of the one that in the Venezuelan Port, Vela de Coro, recalls the moment in which Miranda disembarked, leading the liberating expedition in the year 1806.

As curiosity: this monument was located on the other side of the San Salvador de la Punta Castle — in the esplanade across from Prado and Malecon Hotel — but it was moved from here, so that the castle could protect it from the strong harshness of the weather.

So we don’t forget injustice

You only need to cross the avenue to get to the monument dedicated to the eight medical students, unjustly executed on November 27th, 1871.

The work of the architect Jose Vilalta Saavedra is a small Greek construction, protecting the area of the wall used as a backdrop for the execution. This wall was preserved thanks to the efforts on the part of Fermin Valdes Dominguez, who lived to prove the innocence of the young men. A bust in their memory was unveiled a few steps from the principal monument.

The Monument to the Eight Medical Students that was inaugurated in 1890, has different plaques. Highlighting the one facing Prado Street that has the names of the eight students and a white marble plaque pointing the bay where there is a simple crown engraved in black and the word:

“INNOCENTS.”

It is not necessary to say more, the rest you’ll feel it when you come closer to this sculptural group, because the monument, believe us, invites you to keep silence and make a bow as a sign of respect.

Our Generalisimo

Very close to the monument to the eight Medical Students is the one dedicated to the Generalisimo Maximo Gomez, who being Dominican devoted a great part of his life to the freedom of Cuba.

The main element of this sculptural complex is the equestrian statue of the “general mambi”. According to the regulations of the epoch, heading the sea, because of his condition of foreigner, and the horse should have the four legs on the base, for having died due to natural causes.

In 1916, eleven years after the death of the “generalisimo”, a contest announcement was summoned to choose the project that would pay tribute to Maximo Gomez Baez. Then, the winner was the Italian, Aldo Gamboa and although the inauguration was initially planned for the twentieth anniversary of the patriot’s death, in 1925, this really happened ten years in June, 1935.

Gamboa’s project resulted in a spectacular monument, full of details. They are so many and so meticulous that writing about them would need more than an article. This monumental work refreshes your sight because one of its functions is to make the Havanan littoral more attractive. Up to some extent, that a park was built around it where Cubans from that time could sit and have nice moments, besides, enjoying staring at the monument and the sea breeze.

For the construction of the bay tunnel, by the end of the 50’s from last century, the park was partially destroyed and it was difficult to have access to the place because it was surrounded by avenues and too much traffic.

Let’s walk along the Avenida del Puerto

Along Avenida del Puerto, you’ll find different busts of personalities of the Cuban and international history and culture. From the Cuban patriot Antonio Guiteras, Enrique Jose Varona till Rabindranath Tagore, Mustafa Kemal Ataürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey and Jose Carlos Mariategui, forerunner of the Peruvian socialist party. At the base of this latter states that it was granted by the teachers of Peru and unveiled on August 7th, 2013.

On the wall of the amphitheater of Havana, you can see the plaque dedicated to the writer, Jose Lezama Lima, one of the most important writers of the Spanis American literature– who was born in 1910 and died in 1976. Next to the image of the writer’s image, you can read:

“Al llegar al final del parque, doblo a la derecha por el parque de las misiones, hasta llegar al anfiteatro. Se asomo para ver el proscenio. Entonces, observo alli un vacio tan impelente como el patio de su casa.”

“When getting at the end of the park, turned right through the ‘parque de las misiones’ until the amphitheater. He looked through to see the proscenium. Then, he observed there such an empty space as that of the yard of his house.”

Of course, it’s a fragment of his novel “Paradiso”, that was published in 1966 and had great international impact and it still does nowadays. The fragment engraved on the plaque is longer, you can read the rest if you come closer.

From the other side of the world

If we continue walking, we get to the park, symbol, of the friendship between Japan and Cuba. It’s a simple place with no benches and at its entrance there’s a plaque explaining that the Sendai Ikuei Gakuen school was founded in 1905, in the Japanese city of Sendai and confirms the principles of sincerity, austerity, and autonomy.

A plaque is the starting point while a path takes us to the statue of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first Japanese man who visited Havana. As it is shown at the base of the statue, his journey took place in 1614.

On the edge of the path, you could see the fragments of the Sendai Castle Wall. Images of the four seasons of the year were placed in a small esplanade around the statue, together with arrows on the floor indicating 11,850 kilometers to Sendai and 8,700 kilometers to Roma.

More than a break, a pause

At his point, you’re still in the surroundings of the Parque de la Maestranza, very close to Cabana Bar, the Palace of Craftwork and other spots where you can sit and check the photos you’ve taken during your journey, these photos which from now on will be part of your life and your own history.

Originally published at havanaprivatesuite.com.