Architecture sights in Caribbean Islands
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St Jago de la Vega Cathedral
From the town square, take White Church St south for three blocks to St Jago de la Vega Cathedral, the oldest Anglican cathedral in the former British colonies. It's also one of the prettiest churches in Jamaica, boasting wooden fluted pillars, an impressive beamed ceiling, a magnificent stained-glass window behind the altar, and a large organ dating to 1849.
The church stands on the site of one of the first Spanish cathedrals in the New World: the Franciscan Chapel of the Red Cross, built in 1525. English soldiers destroyed the Catholic church and used the original materials to build their cathedral. The current structure dates from 1714. Note the handsome octagonal stee…
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Edificio Focsa
Unmissable on the Havana skyline, the modernist Edificio Focsa was built in 1954–56 in a record 28 months using pioneering computer technology. In 1999 it was listed as one of the seven modern engineering wonders of Cuba. With 39 floors housing 373 apartments it was, on its completion in June 1956, the second-largest concrete structure of its type in the world, constructed in its entirety without the use of cranes. Falling on hard times in the early ’90s, the upper floors of the Focsa became nests for vultures and in 2000 an elevator cable snapped killing one person. Sparkling once more after a recent restoration project, this skyline-dominating Havana giant nowadays cont…
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Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
It might not be particularly old, but Santiago’s most important church, the imposing, five-nave Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is stunning both inside and out. There has been a cathedral on this site since the city’s inception in the 1520s, though a series of pirate raids, earthquakes and dodgy architects put paid to at least three previous incarnations. The present cathedral, characterized by its two neoclassical towers and open-winged trumpeting archangel, was completed in 1922 and it is believed that the remains of first colonial governor, Diego Velázquez, are still buried underneath. Meticulously restored, the cathedral’s interior is a magnificent mélan…
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St Peter's Church
Built in 1725 of red brick, this church is handsome within, despite its faux-brick facade of cement. Note the floor paved with original black-and-white tiles, and the beautifully decorated wooden organ loft built in 1743 and shipped to England in 1996 for restoration. The place is replete with memorial plaques. The communion plate kept in the vestry is said to have been donated by Henry Morgan, though experts date it to later times.
Most intriguing is a churchyard tomb of Lewis Galdye, a Frenchman who, according to his tombstone, '…was swallowed up in the Great Earth-quake in the Year 1692 & By the Providence of God was by another Shock thrown into the Sea & Miraculously …
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Paseo de la Princesa
Emanating a rather distinctly European flavor, the Paseo de la Princesa is a 19th-century esplanade situated just outside the city walls. Lined with antique street lamps, shade trees, statues, benches, fruit vendors' carts and street entertainers, this romantic walkway culminates at the magnificent Raíces Fountain, a stunning statue/water feature that depicts the island's eclectic Taíno, African and Spanish heritage.
The Paseo is an ideal place to indulge in that most refined of Latin pastimes, the evening stroll - an activity best enjoyed at sunset when the breeze blows stiffly off the bay, the fountain shimmers under haunting colored lights and assorted vendors tempt …
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Iglesia de Porta Coeli
This small church might not look much, but it is one of the oldest surviving ecclesial buildings in the Americas. Originally constructed between 1606 and 1607 on the orders of Queen Isabella of Spain, it once served as the chapel for a Dominican monastery that stood on this site until the 1860s. The current structure dates from a 1692 renovation and despite its architectural simplicity it retains a dramatic position at the crown of a long, steep flight of steps overlooking Plaza Santo Domingo.
The Porta Coeli ('Heaven's Gate' in Latin) has an interior with ausubo pillars and roof beams, and a ceiling made from palm wood, which is typical of construction in Puerto Rico dur…
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Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana
Dominated by two unequal towers and framed by a theatrical baroque facade designed by Italian architect Francesco Borromini, the graceful Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana was described by novelist Alejo Carpentier as ‘music set in stone.’ The Jesuits began construction of the church in 1748 and work continued despite their expulsion in 1767. When the building was finished in 1787, the diocese of Havana was created and the church became a cathedral – one of the oldest in the Americas. The remains of Columbus were interred here from 1795 to 1898 when they were moved to Seville. The best time to visit is during Sunday Mass (10:30am).
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Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
Consecrated in 1760, the city's original Catholic church was replaced by the current model in 1836. The cathedral suffered many blows over the subsequent 100 years, culminating in the 1918 earthquake which destroyed its ceiling, and a lightning bolt that toppled one of its bell towers. Ambitious renovation plans were drawn up by architect Luis Perocier in 1922, but due to lack of funds they were never truly realized. The full refurbishment wasn't actually completed until 2004.
The cathedral now sparkles afresh and survives as one of Puerto Rico's most evocative ecclesial monuments with gilded scenes from the life of Christ behind the altar.
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Iglesia de San José
The Iglesia de San José is the second-oldest church in the Americas. Established in 1523 by Dominicans, this church with its vaulted Gothic ceilings still bears the coat of arms of conquistador Juan Ponce de León (his family worshipped here), a striking carving of the Crucifixion and ornate processional floats.
For 350 years, the remains of Ponce de León, Puerto Rico's first governor, rested in a crypt here before being moved to the San Juan Cathedral down the hill. Several historical figures are buried here, including painter José Campeche, who painted several churches on the island.
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Cathedral
San Germán’s cathedral is named for the town’s patron saint and is noticeably grander than the diminutive Porta Coeli. Facing Plaza Francisco Mariano Quiñones, it dates back to 1739, but major restorations and expansions over the years (especially in the 19th century) have created a mélange of architectural styles, including colonial, neoclassical and baroque elements. This is an active parish; if you visit for a Saturday or Sunday service, take note of the crystal chandelier that helps to light the main nave and the trompe l’oeil fresco.
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Edificio Bacardí
Finished in 1929, the magnificent Edificio Bacardí is a triumph of art-deco architecture with a whole host of lavish finishings that somehow manage to make kitschy look cool. Hemmed in by other buildings, it’s hard to get a full kaleidoscopic view of the structure from street level, though the opulent bell tower can be glimpsed from all over Havana. There’s a bar in the lobby and for a few Convertibles you can travel up to the tower for an eagle’s-eye view.
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Lonja del Comercio
This large box-shaped building on Plaza de San Francisco is a former commodities market erected in 1909. In 1996 the building was completely renovated by Habaguanex and today it provides office space for foreign companies with joint ventures in Cuba. You can enter the Lonja to admire its central atrium and futuristic interior. It also houses the excellent café-restaurant El Mecurio, named after the bronze figure of the god Mercury that sits atop a dome on the roof.
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El Prado
Construction of this stately European-style boulevard (officially known as Paseo de Martí) began outside the city walls in 1770, and the work was completed in the mid-1830s during the term of Captain General Miguel Tacón. He also constructed the original Parque Central. The idea behind El Prado was to create in Habana a boulevard as splendid as any found in Paris, Florence or Madrid. The famous bronze lions that guard the central promenade at either end were added in 1928.
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Edificio Santo Domingo
Edificio Santo Domingo is located on the site of Havana’s old university between 1728 and 1902. It was originally part of a convent; the current incongruous office block dates from the 1950s when the roof was used as a helicopter landing pad. In 2006 Habaguanex rebuilt the convent’s original bell tower and inserted an elaborate baroque doorway onto the building’s eastern side. The result provides an interesting juxtaposition of old and new.
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Iglesia Parroquial Mayor del Espíritu Santo
The verging-on-decrepit Iglesia Parroquial Mayor del Espíritu Santo, originally constructed of wood in 1522 and rebuilt in stone in 1680, is said to be the oldest church in Cuba still standing on its original foundations (although the clock seems to have given out in recent years). While the interior isn’t particularly interesting, locals are proud of this place and the best time to peek is during Sunday morning Mass.
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Hanover Parish Church
A walk north up the main frontage road curls past some of Lucea's finest historical houses, many in a state of near decrepitude, and deposits you atop the headland with a fine view east over Lucea Harbour. At the hillcrest is Hanover Parish Church, established in 1725. It's architecturally uninspired but has several interesting monuments; a Jewish section of the walled cemetery recalls the days when Lucea had a vibrant Jewish community.
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Palacio Cueto
The square’s most distinctive building is the Gaudí-esque Palacio Cueto, Havana’s finest example of art nouveau that was constructed in 1906. Its outrageously ornate facade once housed a warehouse and a hat factory before it was rented by José Cueto in the 1920s as the Palacio Vienna hotel. Habaguanex has recently pledged to restore the building, empty and unused since the early ’90s.
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
The city’s oldest and most interesting church, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, four blocks north of Parque Vidal, was built in 1748, with a tower added in 1846. During the First War of Independence it was used as a jail for Cuban patriots. A modern cylindrical monument facing the church commemorates the spot where Santa Clara was founded in 1689 by 13 refugee families from Remedios.
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Bethany Moravian Church
The Bethany road climbs sharply and delivers you at the Bethany Moravian Church - a simple gray stone building dating to 1835, dramatically perched four-square midway up the hill with fantastic valley views. The church is rather dour close up but the simple interior boasts a resplendent organ.
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Parish Church of St John the Evangelist
Foremost among the historic structures worth checking out is the yellow-brick Parish Church of St John the Evangelist, built in 1837. The airy interior is graced by wooden porticoes and a stately balcony, while the graves around the back cemetery date from the 17th century.
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St James Parish Church
St James Parish Church is regarded as the finest church on the island. The current church was built between 1775 and 1782 in the shape of a Greek cross, but was so damaged by the earthquake of March 1, 1957, that it had to be rebuilt.
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Nazareth Moravian Church
To the south of the B6, perched atop the Don Figuerero Mountains, at Maidstone, is Nazareth Moravian Church. Maidstone was one of the best-planned post-emancipation 'free villages,' founded in 1840.
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Catedral de la Purísima Concepción
The singular Catedral de la Purísima Concepción, dating from 1869 is distinguished by its French stained-glass windows. Surprise – it’s nearly always open.
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López Serrano Building
Resembling a miniature Empire State Building with the bottom 70 floors chopped off, the López Serrano building is Vedado’s most distinctive art deco construction.
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St Simon's Anglican Church
Another beautiful church - St Simon's Anglican Church - sits on a hillside amid meadows at Comfort Hall, 6km west of Mile Gully, with huge spreading trees festooned with old man's beard.
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