Fuente de la India, Marble fountain at Paseo de Martí, Cuba.
Fuente de la India is a marble fountain on Paseo de Martí featuring a central female figure surrounded by four dolphins that channel water into large shells below. This neoclassical monument stands about 3 meters tall and was carved from Italian Carrara marble.
Italian sculptor Giuseppe Gaggini created this monument in 1837 for the Count of Villanueva during Cuba's Spanish colonial period. It emerged from a time of active urban development and improvement in the city.
The figure of an indigenous woman holding Havana's coat of arms and a cornucopia of Cuban fruits speaks to how the city represents the meeting of native and colonial worlds. Visitors today can read this symbolism directly in the carved details and what the woman holds.
The fountain sits on a traffic island in front of Hotel Saratoga near major landmarks like Capitolio Nacional and Plaza de la Catedral. It is best visited early in the morning or late afternoon when the surrounding area is quieter and easier to appreciate.
The figure's face stays shadowed throughout the day due to how it is positioned, creating a striking visual contrast with its brightly lit surroundings. This shadowing effect gives the sculpture a mysterious quality that changes how visitors perceive it depending on where they stand.
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