Rebuilding Old Havana

Nick Dettorre
Reporting from Havana


It is believed Christopher Columbus once described Havana as the, “loveliest land ever beheld by human eyes.” Today, much of the old city is in ruins. Years of neglect and unfortunate weather have reduced many of the buildings in the heart of Havana to rubble. In some cases, facades stand as an empty reminder to 16th and 17th century (or colonial) architecture that once stood proud along cobblestone streets.

A building in a densely populated Havana neighborhood, reduced to rubble on the street. More than two-million people live in Cuba’s capital city, many in buildings that may end up one day like this one.

However, there is some truth in Columbus’ words. Parts of the city are under renovation, and the students tasked with the job are using many of the same techniques that built the city Columbus encountered more than 500 years ago.

Recess at Hotel Raquel

Nick Dettorre,
reporting from Havana

On a warm afternoon, late in the week, our tour bus dropped us off near the Plaza de San Francisco, one of the oldest in Old Havana. The neighborhood was undergoing a major renovation, part of a joint effort between the  Gaspar Melhor de Jobellanos Workshop School, which specializes in restoring old buildings, and the City Historian Office, who determines which buildings are next in line.

The plaza had a lot to offer. On display at one museum were several guns owned by Fidel Castro and Che Guevera. The curator explained that some were used in the revolution, a reminder that social change too often walks hand-in-hand with violence.