The Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana is one of the most famous and important tourist centers, not only because of the images of Commander Che Guevara and that of Camilo Cienfuegos, which are distinguished in their surroundings but also because of the striking monument to our national Hero José Martí.

The square has a unique historical value because it has been the scene of many of the main acts and events of the Cuban Revolution. Nowadays its rooms serve as exhibition halls and for the celebration of significant events in the history of Cuba.

When was the Revolution Square built?

Historians tell that the Revolution Square was conceived in the 1940s with the purpose of erecting a monument to the National Hero of Cuba, on the site where the Hermitage of the Catalans was located.

However, the work did not begin until 1952, under the order of Fulgencio Batista, who considered this as the perfect way to clear his image marred by violence.

For this, the government promoted a forced public collection, in addition to raising taxes and using other methods of obtaining money that would allow to raise funds for the construction of the monument.

Construction began in 1953 and ended in 1958 the obels and the statue of Marti were erected but the surrounding areas and the gallery were still missing.

In 1959, at the beginning of the Revolution, it was decided to close its doors to the public as a museum and it is then that the base of the monument begins to be used for farewells of personalities duels and other activities.

Already in 1995, due to the centenary of José Martí fall in combat, which occurred on May 19, 1895, the idea of opening the site as a memorial was resumed on May 19 the same year.

Being inaugurated on January 27th, 1996 by Fidel Castro Ruz, leader of the Revolution as a memorial to honor our national heroe José Martí.

Address of Plaza de la Revolucion Havana

The Plaza the la Revolucion in Havana is located in the municipality with the same name.

Interesting facts about the Plaza de la Revolucion Havana:

With 72,000 square meters, Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana is one of the largest squares in Cuba and the world.

Although its original name was Plaza Civica (Civic Sqaure), its international fame began with the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, and hence the name it adopted since then.

The Square:

The place formed by a five-pointed star, has five rooms. First two dedicated to spreading the life and work of José Martí. In which drawings, prints, iconographies, editions of his books, documents, and original manuscripts are shown, such as the first letter written by Marti to his mother, at the age of nine, among others until the note he sent hours before his fall in Dos Ríos, to General of the Mambí Army, Máximo Gómez.

The third rooms exposes images and documents related to the construction of the Square. There is an auditorium where conferences, book presentations and concerts are held with Small orchestras with a capacity for one hundred people.

Here, awards are given annually to the winners of literary competitions or concerts by pianists such as Frank Fernández are enjoyed.

There is also a room dedicated to children, created with the purpose of fostering love for the apostle. Inside there is a unique article, a Venetian ceramic mural authored by the Cuban artist Enrique Carabia.

The Obelisk:

The tower constitutes the highest point of the city of Havana, it is a concrete structure clad in gray marble, very clear, with a little more than 78 meters in diameter in its lower part and stands 142 meters to the lighthouses and flags.

As it grows, the pyramid narrows. There is also an internal elevator of 90 meters of travel and a staircase of 579 steps.

On the top floor, 129 meters above sea level, the beauty of Cuban Capital is appreciated in all its magnitude and on the floor, through the cardinal points, the visitor can get know about curious facts such as their situation: to the North, to the south, east and west as well as the distance to different regions such as Jerusalem 11022 kilometers, La Paz at 4655, 7454 from Madrid, Spain and 1782 from Mexico City.

In front and independent of the tower, there is the Jose Martí Memorial since 1958.

José Martí Memorial:

In the area of the base of the monument you will find the José Martí stuatue in a sitting and thoughtful position. The statue is 18 meters high and consists of 52 blocks of white marble, the work of Cuban artist Juan José Sicre.

It is placed 139 meters above the sea, this being the ideal way to revitalize his ideology when he sentenced:

“It is necessary to rise like the mountains to be seen from afar”

The memorial is surrounded by six pillars representing the provinces in which formerly the national territory was divided, with the shields of each one of them.

What is contemplated around the Plaza de la Revolucion Havana?

The Plaza de la Revolucion is surrounded by the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior of Cuba, formerly known as the Court of Auditors.

On its facade is an image of Ernesto Che Guevara made of cast black glass, the work of Cuban artist Enrique Ávila.

Under the image of “Che” is also recorded the most famous motto of the commander: “Hasta la victoria siempre”, which means “Ever onward to victory”.

Another of the nearby buildings is the Ministry of Information, Technology and Communications that displays the image of the hero of the cuban Revolution Camilo Cienfuegos with his phrase “You are doing well Fidel!”, this image was placed in the year 2009.

On the east and west sides you can find the José Martí National Library, the National Theater of Cuba, the latter, home of the “Café Cantante” nightclub and the Ministry of the Armed Forces.

What are the most relevant events that occurred in the José Martí Revolution Square?

The historic Revolution Square has witnessed major international and mass events in recent years.

These events include:

• The first parade of the popular militias made up of workers and peasants on May 1, 1959.
• Crowd concentration of the people in the Revolution Square, on September 2, 1960, in support of the First Declaration of Havana. Photos of this important fact are shown in the halls of the square.
• On September 28, 1961, the act for the I Anniversary of the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) was held in the square.
• The people gathered in the Revolution Square supported the foreign policy of the Revolutionary Government and approved the II Declaration of Havana on February 4, 1962.
• On May 1, 1980, the square houses the largest mass act of the revolution and revolutionary reaffirmation in response to the maneuvers executed by the United States Government to disembark at the Guantanamo Base.
• The second concert Peace without Borders of 2009, the masses officiated by Pope Benedict XVI and Francisco, in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
• On March 7, 2013, Tribute is made for the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías.
• The mass act on the occasion of the death of the leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro in 2016.

Hence, the Revolution Square has become a meeting place for the Cuban people to celebrate or commemorate the successes of the Revolution, as well as the parades of May 1st, and acts of solidarity with brotherly peoples, anniversaries of the assault on the Moncada Barracks, the Triunfo of the Cuban Revolution and other important events of Cuba that marked a before and after in history.

What time of day can you visit the Revolution Square in Havana?

The José Martí Memorial in the Revolution Square is open to the public every day, from 9:00 a.m. at 5:00 p.m. Admission is 8CUC tourists, having the possibility to visit base and viewpoint.

For children the visit to the base is free

Mention that upon arrival you will find a specialized staff, prepared and with full knowledge about the life and work of the apostle José Martí.

Tours to Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana

From Varadero

On the other hand, if your lodging place is in Varadero and you probably want to visit the Revolution Square, as well as all the places of interest in Havana, including, Old Havana, El Capitolo, Cigar Factory, Plaza de Armas, Rum Museum among other places chosen by you. You can request one of our day trips to Havana since all our tours to Havana include a visit to Revolution Square and in addition to that, all of them are also all 100% customizable in order to visit the preferred places by our clients.

From Havana

If you are staying in Havana you probably want to visit all the iconic places of the city, and this without a doubt includes the Plaza de la Revolucion with the Jose Marti Memorial, in such case, we invite you to get in contact with us since we can either arrange full-day trip through all the old Havana and modern Havana, including a visit to the Revolution Square or we can arrange a punctual visit to the Square for the period of time that you set.

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