José Martí monument
The José Martí monument is located on the northern part of the Plaza de la Revolución in the Vedado district of the Cuban capital Havana . The monument to the national hero José Martí (1853–1895), a writer and pioneer of Cuba's independence, was erected from 1953 to 1958 during the second term of office of the dictator Fulgencio Batista .
history
Planning began at the end of the 1930s with several competitions, from which in 1943 a proposal by the architect Aquiles Maza and the sculptor Juan José Sicre emerged as the winner. However, construction did not begin immediately. It was only after the coup of 1952 that Batista continued planning to get popular support. However, instead of choosing the winner, he chose the third-placed proposal from the last competition.
To the north of the monument is the building of the Comité Central del PCC , the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba . The monument serves as the backdrop for the Cuban government during state visits and public speeches.
layout
The monument is located on a hill and consists of the statue of José Martí, which stands in front of a 109 m high tower. The approximately ten meter high statue represents José Martí in a kneeling posture. The tower has the base of a five-star and is clad with gray marble from the island of Isla de la Juventud and tapers towards the top. At the top of the tower there is a viewing platform that is accessible by an elevator.
literature
- Mauricio Augusto Font, Alfonso W. Quiroz: The Cuban Republic and José Martí: reception and use of a national symbol , Lexington Books, 2006, ISBN 0739112252
Web links
Coordinates: 23 ° 7 ′ 19.5 " N , 82 ° 23 ′ 11.2" W.