PARQUE DE LOS MARTIRES

This square - Parque de Los Martires (Martyrs' Park) - used to house the Cárcel de La Habana (Havana Prison), of which only two cells and the chapel where those condemned to death spent their last moments remain. It was built between 1834 and 1838, on the initiative of Captain General Don Miguel de Tacón, a governor fiercely opposed to any independence for the island, before being destroyed in 1939. Among its famous tenants was the great José Martí. Today, the park is a pleasant place to take a breath of fresh air.