7-608: Old Havana (Spanish: La Habana Vieja ) is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) forming Havana , Cuba . It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of Havana. The positions of the original Havana city walls are the modern boundaries of Old Havana. In 1982, Old Havana was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List , because of its unique Baroque and neoclassical architecture , its fortifications, and its historical importance as
14-662: A stop on the route to the New World . A safeguarding campaign was launched a year later to restore the authentic character of the buildings. Havana was founded by the Spanish November 16, 1519 in the natural harbor of the Bay of Havana. It became a stopping point for the treasure laden Spanish galleons on the crossing between the New World and the Old World . In the 17th century, it was one of
21-802: The convents and churches, the palaces, the alleys, the arcade, the human density. The Cuban State had undertaken enormous efforts to preserve and to restore Old Havana through the efforts of the Office of the Historian of the City, which was directed by Eusebio Leal . The restoration effort successfully transformed Old Havana into a tourist attraction, and also resulted in Leal becoming recognized as Old Havana's de facto Mayor. In 2008, Hurricane Ike destroyed many structures in Old Havana, overturning years of conservation work directed at
28-406: The first fortress built, was begun in 1558, and was overseen by engineer Bartolomé Sanchez. Old Havana resembles Cádiz and Tenerife . Alejo Carpentier called it "de las columnas"(of the columns), but it could also be named for the gateways, the revoco, the deterioration and the rescue, the intimacy, the shade, the cool, the courtyards... In her there are all the big ancient monuments, the forts,
35-414: The iconic antiquated buildings of the area. Not only did it damage historic buildings, but it forced many of Old Havana's residents to flee for safety. The threats that hurricanes pose adds to an already tenuous state for Old Havana's many historic buildings. Age, decay, and neglect combine with natural factors in a complex set of threats to the long-term preservation of this historic old town. Old Havana
42-403: The main shipbuilding centers. The city was built in baroque and neoclassical styles. Many buildings have fallen into ruin in the latter half of the 20th century, but a number are being restored. The narrow streets of Old Havana contain many buildings, accounting for perhaps as many as one-third of the approximately 3,000 buildings found in Old Havana. It is the ancient city formed from the port,
49-639: The official center and the Plaza de Armas. In 1555, Old Havana was destroyed by the French corsair Jacques de Sores . The pirate had taken Havana easily, overpowering the few defenders, plundering the city, and burning much of it to the ground, but he left without obtaining the enormous wealth that he had been hoping to find there. After the incident, the Spanish brought soldiers into the city and built fortresses and walls to protect it. Construction of Castillo de la Real Fuerza ,
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