Church sights in Havana
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A
Iglesia de Guanabacoa
The Iglesia de Guanabacoa, on Parque Martí in the center of town, is also known as the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, and was designed by Lorenzo Camacho and built between 1721 and 1748 with a Moorish-influenced wooden ceiling. The gilded main altar and nine lateral altars are worth a look, and there is a painting of the Assumption of the Virgin at the back. In typical Cuban fashion, the main doors are usually locked; knock at the parochial office out back if you’re keen.
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B
Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís el Nuevo
Still in the throes of a lengthy restoration, this unique church near Plaza Vieja was once known as the Iglesia de San Agustín. Built in 1633, it was reconsecrated in 1842 and taken over by the Franciscan order, which had recently lost its tenancy in the Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís a few blocks to the east. Thanks to its earlier incarnation under Augustine monks, the church still retains a notable Mexican flavor, including ochre pillars, intricate stained glass, haunting frescoes and a gorgeously painted inner dome.
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, also called the Catedral de los Campos de Cuba, on Santa María del Rosario’s old town square, was built in 1720 by the Conde de Casa Bayona near the Quiebra Hacha sugar mill, of which nothing remains today. Inside are a gilded mahogany altar and a painting by Veronese. It is one of suburban Havana’s most attractive secrets.
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C
Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced
Built in 1755, the Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced was reconstructed in the 19th century. Beautiful gilded altars, frescoed vaults and a number of old paintings create a sacrosanct mood; there’s a quiet cloister adjacent.
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D
Iglesia Parroquial del Espíritu Santo
Havana’s oldest surviving church (built in 1640 and rebuilt in 1674) is the Iglesia Parroquial del Espíritu Santo, with many burials in the crypt.
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E
Iglesia Jesús de Miramar
Iglesia Jesús de Miramar, an aesthetically pleasing dome, is a gigantic neo-Romanesque church.
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