National Museum of Fine Arts Almost a Century Dedicated to Art

Three unique buildings with different architectural styles comprise the National Museum of Fine Arts, a Cuban cultural jewel that you should not miss when visiting Havana.

The first Museum was located at Concordia and Lucena Streets in Central Havana and presented works of art, valuable historical documents, objects related to prominent Cubans, and even natural science exhibitions. It was 1913 and the dream had begun.

Between 1920 and 1958 the museum's holdings were constantly increasing thanks to the support of its second director, Antonio Rodríguez Morey. He promoted the purchase of original works, the acquisition of valuable art treasured by Cuban society of the time, and the correct cataloguing of the collection. Despite his skill and efforts on behalf of the Museum, the location itself posed a threat to the preservation of the art.

The first project to construct a building that would allow the proper conservation and exhibition of the still young collection was planned by Evelio Govantes and Félix Cabarrocas in 1925. The site chosen was the space occupied by a former market named Mercado Colon. The architects were proposing a design based on the tradition of the Paris School of Fine Arts. The proposal never got off the ground and was forgotten for almost two decades.

In 1949, another idea emerged, this time from architect and Minister of Public Works Manuel Febles. This last proposal was replaced two years later by a completely different design from Alfonso Rodríguez Pichardo. Pichardo had an image that combined Cuba's colonial tradition with functional and contemporary design features.

The Palace of Fine Arts opened in the mid-1950's at the corner of Trocadero and Monserrate in Old Havana