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October 10, 2022
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Maceo Park in Havana

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A few meters from the sea, where centuries ago there was a deserted cove and then the Queen’s Battery was located, is the Parque Maceo de Havana. There stands the first great monument built in Cuba in homage to Lieutenant General Antonio Maceo y Grajales, a leading figure in the wars for the island’s independence in the 19th century.

The statue of the hero is located with its back to the sea: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Its construction began precisely with the monumental complex, after the battery was demolished at the beginning of the last century and in 1911 a contest was called for the construction of the place. Of the 26 works presented, the winner was that of the Italian sculptor Domenico Boni, finally executed in bronze and granite, while the design of the public space was entrusted to the architect Francisco Centurión.

The monument, although it does not correspond exactly to that of the award-winning project, was inaugurated on May 20, 1916, on the 15th anniversary of the proclamation of the new Republic and when the famous Havana boardwalk did not yet exist. Although the “Bronze Titan” does not appear in it —as Boni originally conceived— surrounded by bayonets, it contains essential aspects and passages from Maceo’s life, such as the moment when his mother, Mariana Grajales, made his parents swear sons fidelity and sacrifice for the Homeland, important battles of the hero, such as those of Peralejo and Cacarajicara, and the historic Protest of Baraguá.

Maceo Park in Havana
Colossal sculptural complex in honor of Major General of the Liberation Army Antonio Maceo Grajales. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Remains of the base of the pole where the Cuban flag waved at the Monument to General Antonio Maceo Grajales. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez

In addition, the four angles of the base of the pedestal are represented in four large figures: action, thought, justice and law, fundamental elements for Maceo. And at the top appears the equestrian statue of the hero, while the horse stands on its hind legs, as a symbol of his death in combat.

Maceo Park in Havana
The monument includes the National Shield and that of Havana: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Scenes in relief of the four essential moments in Maceo’s life. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Large figures in the four corners of the base represent: action, thought, justice and law: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Scenes in relief of the four essential moments in Maceo’s life. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Scenes in relief of the four essential moments in Maceo’s life. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Sculptures at the Antonio Maceo monument in Havana, Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
A plaque shows Mariana Grajales, Maceo’s mother, in the act of making her children swear allegiance to the country. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez

However, even with the inauguration of the monument, the park remained unrealized and it was not until a decade later that a first attempt to shape the site was built, which deserved numerous criticisms, including those of the historian Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring . Several modifications were then made, until in 1960, after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, its area was expanded and it acquired a more similar appearance to the current one, although other changes and repairs have been carried out later.

Maceo Park then became what it is today, a place not only to honor General Mambi, but also a point of passage and concentration of people, a place of recreation for many, children’s games, walks for lovers and young people who spend the time in the monument itself. And also an important node for city transport, an area where bus stops and other vehicles converge, Havanans who travel from one point to another in the city, or who arrive or leave the nearby Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital, one of the of the Cuban capital and the whole Island.

Maceo Park in Havana
Hospital Hermanos Almeijeiras. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Cocotaxi queue in Antonio Maceo Park Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
November 27th Street (Jovellar). Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Chapel of the Immaculate located on San Lázaro street in front of Antonio Maceo Park. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Caleta grape plants in the Antonio Maceo park garden: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Tunnel that connects the Antonio Maceo park with the Malecón wall: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
The proximity of the sea and its penetration make the place vulnerable to hurricanes and other meteorological phenomena: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez
Maceo Park in Havana
The proximity of the sea and its penetration make the place vulnerable to hurricanes and other meteorological phenomena: Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

The park, unfortunately, has not escaped the punishment of nature and human indolence. The latter increases its daily wounds, while its proximity to the sea exposes it to floods and storms, to the impact on its buildings and green areas, on its sidewalks and on the monument itself, from saltpeter, water and wind, as happened recently with the scourge of the powerful Hurricane Ian through Western Cuba.

Maceo Park in Havana
Remains of lights in the monument to the Bronze Titan. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Apparatus area for the enjoyment of children in the Antonio Maceo park in Havana, Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Fountain in the Antonio Maceo park in Havana, Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodriguez
Maceo Park in Havana
Tower of San Lazaro. Photo: Otmaro

However, even with its accumulated scars, with the constant threat of the sea and other pains, Maceo Park continues to be an emblematic place in Havana. An endearing place for many Havanans and whose most recent views we bring you today through the lens of our photojournalist Otmaro Rodríguez.

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