| The Capitol building in Havana City is considered one | | | | stones, 150 thousand cement bags, 3500 tons of |
| of the six important palaces globally speaking, and | | | | structural steel, and 2 thousand tons of belaying pins |
| experts assure that this building is an almost perfect | | | | were used. Its decorations and all the adjustments |
| engineering masterpiece, completed during the first | | | | took one and a half years, and its great rooms keep |
| decades of the 20th century. Luxurious and majestic, | | | | large artistic treasures. The statue that symbolizes |
| the Capitol is a must-see place for both nationals and | | | | the Republic of Cuba stands out easily. Made by the |
| foreigners while in Havana City. It is classic to take a | | | | Italian artist Angelo Zanelli, this statue is regarded as |
| picture with one of the very old cameras that | | | | the third largest statue under roof in the world. It is |
| surround the building in high quantities. Today, it is the | | | | placed in the Salón de los Pasos Perdidos (Room of |
| national headquarters of the Science Academy of | | | | the Lost Steps) and at its base is marked kilometer 0 |
| Cuba and the Ministry of Science, Technology and | | | | of all the highways and roads of the country, a mark |
| Environment (CITMA, acronym in Spanish). | | | | that also served to separate the two legislative |
| The Capitol was inaugurated on May 20, 1929. The | | | | bodies: the Senate and the House of |
| area is around 338 thousand square meters and was | | | | Representatives. |
| built in three years and 50 days, beginning on April 1, | | | | The statue of the Republic was made of 22-carat |
| 1926, with an approximate cost of 17 million Cuban | | | | laminated gold with a height of 17 meters from its |
| pesos, which at that time were equivalent to U.S | | | | onyx marble base. Current estimations say that only |
| dollars and a fortune to many. The history of | | | | the Golden Buddha in Nava, Japan, and the Lincoln |
| Architecture has not witnessed many such instances | | | | Memorial in Washington, USA exceed the height of |
| where a monument of that greatness was built in | | | | the Havana sculpture and its 49 tons. The gardens of |
| such a brief period of time. The Louvre in Paris, the | | | | the Capitol, a great attraction for the pedestrians, |
| Basilica of Saint Peter and many others took | | | | were conceived by the French architect J. T. |
| hundreds of years before being finally built; the | | | | Forestier, a specialist in this field; and Mister Heitzler |
| Escorial in Spain was finally constructed after 22 | | | | and Mister Leveau, who had vast experiences in |
| years under the reign of Phillip XI, just to give | | | | planning large modern cities, suggested some variants |
| examples. The name of this building was the final | | | | to the original design. |
| result of a public survey promoted in order to put an | | | | Today, the Capitol is a Convention Center. Its ample |
| end to the debate between Congress Palace and | | | | rooms have served for exhibitions, solemn acts, |
| Capitol. | | | | business meetings, and other types of meetings. |
| For building this immense construction, located in the | | | | Destined to spread the notions of this great |
| quadrant formed by Prado St, Dragones St, Industria | | | | edification both for Cubans and foreigners, the |
| St, and San José St, more than 8 thousand | | | | impressive granite staircase of the Capitol welcomes |
| workers were hired; and 5 million bricks, 38 thousand | | | | the visitor climbing the 55 steps. |
| cubic meters of sand, 40 thousand cubic meters of | | | | |