Plaza del Cristo (Cristo Square)

By agreement of the town council, in March, 1640 the Plaza del Cristo was created. The project also included a hermitage and a calvary at the same place where a boundary cross, marking the end of the fourteen crosses or Stations of the Cross during Lent, was located. In that way the dimensions of the plaza were planned according to the character of the processions that were to take place in it.

Very soon, as was already customary for these plazas, the area was filled by worthy neighbors whose houses were built according to their hierarchy, proud lineage and illustrious ancestry. In the last third of the 18th century the Palacio Episcopal de La Habana was established in the crossing of Bernaza and Teniente Rey streets. This one stands out for its high ceilings, the great variety of its arches and a 27 meters high gallery, that among other features make it a monumental architectural ensemble.

In 1814 a market with wooden stalls and mobile stands opened at the Plaza del Cristo. It was upgraded in 1836 by the Captain General Miguel de Tacón y Rosique, who ordered to rebuild them with masonry, under the name of Mercado del Cristo. Nowadays a bust of the unfortunate romantic poet Gabriel de la Concepción Valdés (a.k.a. Plácido), made by the Cuban artist Teodoro Ramos Blanco, is placed at this plaza

Address: Cristo y Teniente Rey.