Plaza de San Francisco de Asís

Address Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Old Havana

Plaza de San Francisco de Asís is one of the four main squares of Old Havana and one of the most beautiful. The square is dominated by the baroque-towered Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco de Asís, built in the 16th century and now used as a concert hall rather than a church — its excellent acoustics make it one of the best music venues in Havana for classical and choral performances.

At the centre of the square is the Fuente de los Leones (Fountain of the Lions), a marble fountain modelled on the famous lion fountain in the Alhambra of Granada. The surrounding buildings have been carefully restored and house restaurants, a shipping company museum, and a few small shops. The square's proximity to the harbour means it has been at the centre of Havana's commercial life for five centuries — it was here that the annual trade fair was held in colonial times.

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A story
The bronze figure sitting on a bench in Plaza de San Francisco is El Caballero de París (The Gentleman from Paris) — a statue commemorating José María López Lledín, a Spanish immigrant who arrived in Cuba around 1910 and spent decades wandering Havana's streets, philosophising with anyone who would listen. He was beloved by the city despite having no fixed address or income; locals considered him a kind of urban sage. Touching the beard of his statue is said to bring good luck.

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