El Templete, Neoclassical temple in Old Havana, Cuba
El Templete is a neoclassical building on Plaza de Armas in Old Havana, standing directly in front of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. Inside are three large paintings created by French artist Jean Baptiste Vermay depicting the founding moments of the city.
El Templete was built in 1827 on the plans of Colonel Antonio de la Torre, directed by regidor Francisco Rodríguez y Cabrera, at the initiative of governor Francisco Dionisio Vives. It stands on the spot where the villa of San Cristóbal de la Habana is believed to have been founded in 1519, and it was the first neoclassical construction in Havana.
Each year on the eve of November 16, hundreds of Havana residents walk three times around the ceiba in the garden, toss a coin among its roots and silently make a wish. The tree now growing was planted in 1960, replacing earlier ceibas; the first died in the mid-18th century.
The location sits at the edge of Plaza de Armas square, easily reached on foot and visible from anywhere in Old Havana. The entrance is level and open, making a visit straightforward for most people.
The ceiba in the garden replaced the original, which died in the mid-18th century; the present tree was planted in 1960. Nearby stands the Column of Cajigal, erected in 1754 after the first ceiba died, topped by an image of the Virgin of the Pillar and with a marble bust of Hernando de Soto at its base.
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