- José Martí Memorial
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José Martí Memorial 
General information Location Havana, Cuba Coordinates 23°07′22″N 82°23′12″W / 23.12278°N 82.38667°WCoordinates: 23°07′22″N 82°23′12″W / 23.12278°N 82.38667°W Construction started 1953 Completed 1958 Height Top floor 109 m (358 ft) Design and construction Architect Enrique Luis Varela The José Martí Memorial (Spanish: Monumento a José Martí) is a memorial to José Martí, the national hero of Cuba, located on the northern side of the Plaza de la Revolución in the Vedado area of Havana. It consists of a star-shaped tower, a statue of Martí surrounded by six columns, and gardens.
The 109 m (358 ft) tower, designed by a team of architects led by Enrique Luis Varela, is in the form of a five-pointed star, encased in grey Cuban marble from the Isla de la Juventud. The design was eventually selected from various entries put forward from a series of competitions beginning in 1939. Entries included a version of the tower topped with a statue of Martí, and a monument similar to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. with a statue of Martí seated within. The fourth competition held in 1943 resulted in the selection of a design by the architect Aquiles Maza and the sculptor Juan José Sicre. In order to proceed with construction of the monument, the Monserrat Hermitage, which occupied the proposed site, had to be demolished. Various impediments to the acquisition of the Hermitage by the state led to delays in the demolition and the start of building work, so by 1952 – when Fulgencio Batista seized power in a coup – work on the construction had still not begun.
Eager to garner popular support after seizing power, Batista committed to pushing ahead with the construction of a monument to Martí; but rather than proceeding with the competition winner, he selected the design that had come third in the competition, created by a group of architects headed by Enrique Luis Varela, Batista's Minister of Works and his personal friend. The selection of this design caused something of a public outcry, and as a result the design was modified to remove the statue from the top of the tower, and to instead feature Juan José Sicre's statue of Marti at the foot of the tower. Construction of the tower began in 1953 on the 100th anniversary of José Martí's birth. The right to compensation for local inhabitants forced to move to make way for construction caused further problems; their case was taken up by a young Fidel Castro. The monument was finally completed in 1958 during the final days of the Batista dictatorship.
The selected design includes an enclosed observation deck on the top floor, the highest point in Havana, accessible by elevator which gives commanding views over the city in all directions. Housed on the ground floor of the tower which overlooks the city, the memorial features two rooms of correspondence, writings and items from the life of José Martí and displays relating his life story. A third room illustrates the history of the Plaza de la Revolucion, and a fourth room is used for displays of contemporary art. The centre of the tower houses the elevator and features walls decorated with quotes from Martí. Among other items on display is a replica of the sword of Simón Bolívar presented to Fidel Castro by Hugo Chávez during his visit to Cuba in 2002.
Outside, facing over the plaza and towards the mural of Che Guevara on the Ministry of the Interior on the opposite side of the square, is an 18 m (59 ft) white marble statue of Martí carved in situ by Sicre and surrounded by six half-height marble columns. The platform where the statue is located is used as a podium when rallies take place in the Plaza de la Revolución.
Tourists are able to ascend the memorial and enjoy the best panoramic view of Havana. However, many tourists have complained about the ad hoc charges that are administered by the memorial's officials, which varies wildly depending on the members of staff manning the ticket booths. Imposter groundspeople are not unknown to charge tourists to ascend the memorial steps.
Gallery
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José Martí Statue with Cuban Flag.
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The José Martí Memorial
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Sicre's Statue of Martí.
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José Martí Memorial.
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As of January 16, 2005.
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Jose Marti Memorial in Havana, Cuba (October 2011)
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Jose Marti Memorial in Havana, Cuba (October 2011)
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Museum in the base of the Memorial (October 2011)
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Museum in the base of the Memorial (October 2011)
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Museum in the base of the Memorial (October 2011)
References
- "Historia del memorial" (in Spanish). Memorial José Martí. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070203203809/http://cuba.cu/memorial/infor.htm. Retrieved 26 March 2007.
- Information from Memorial José Martí. Retrieved 26 March 2007
External links
- JoséMartí.cu Portal José Martí (Spanish)
Landmarks and attractions in Havana Landmarks La Cabaña · El Capitolio · Castillo de la Real Fuerza · Hotel Inglaterra · Hotel Tryp Habana Libre · Hotel Nacional de Cuba · Hotel Habana Riviera · Hotel Capri · Manzana de Gomez · Meliá Cohiba Hotel · Morro Castle · San Salvador de la Punta Fortress · Sevilla Hotel · El TempleteReligious buildings Museums Colón Necrópolis · José Martí Memorial · Havana Museum of Decorative Arts · Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana · Museum of the RevolutionTheaters Attractions Categories:- 1950s architecture
- Museums in Havana
- Monuments and memorials in Cuba
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