Its past is as remarkable as its design. In the spot where today The Capitol of Havana elevates, a massive marsh existed which housed the first botanical garden ever built in Cuba around the 19th Century.

The planning of today's Capitol took many years but once the construction started it was finished in only 3 years, something very impressive for a building of its magnitude. Those were times of economic crises and huge unemployment and thousands of people went to work on this project.

The grand design was inaugurated on Thursday May 20, 1929. Anybody and everybody that was a celebrity in those times in Cuba graced with their presence the opening ceremony, among those was the President of The Republic Gerardo Machado.

The price tag of the building reached 17 million dollars in those days which at present will be something around 10 times more expensive. All the workers drawn in project and construction were locals including the prestigious architect Eugenio Raynieri Piedra.

Its Cupola is second in height to the tower at the Square of The Revolution. The style of the entire construction is an astonishing expression of the neoclassic architecture in Havana. The porch it protected by 17 giant ionic pillars and three huge mahogany gateways embossed with events of the Cuban history.

Right beneath the Cupola the 3rd highest sculpture inside a building in the whole world can be contemplated. It is a lady figure made of bronze holding a long spear representing the republic of Cuba. It was brought from Italy and it was designed by the famous artist Angelo Zanelli.

The Capitol house was the seat of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate since it was built until 1959. After the victory of the Revolution led by Castro it turned into the biggest museum in Cuba presenting guests with the history of the pseudo republican times.

Visiting The Capitol is like wandering back in time. Utterly every peace of furniture in the museum is kept faultlessly the same manner it was when the building was opened. If you are dwelling in a hotel in Havana Vieja area it will take you only some few minutes walk to this site. There is an entry charge to pay (4.00 CUC) so as you can appreciate it is not pricey and it is worth every cent of your money.