El Capitolio is one of the most impressive buildings in Havana — a neoclassical colossus completed in 1929 that is slightly larger than its obvious model, the US Capitol in Washington. The building was constructed in just three years as a symbol of Cuban republican prosperity and cost $17 million, an extraordinary sum for the time. The dome rises 55 metres above the interior, and the bronze seated figure of the Republic in the central hall is the third-largest indoor statue in the world.
Originally the seat of the Cuban legislature, El Capitolio was closed after the 1959 revolution and used for various purposes over the following decades. A lengthy restoration, completed in 2018, returned it to its original splendour — the marble floors, gilded ceilings, and bronze doors have been impeccably restored. The National Assembly now sits here again. Guided tours take visitors through the main hall, the former Senate and House chambers, and up to views from just below the dome.