Torreón de San Lázaro

Defense in Havana, Cuba

23°08′30″N 82°22′27″W / 23.141605482397°N 82.37408954425452°W / 23.141605482397; -82.37408954425452Opened1781Height9.14 metresDimensionsDiameter4.57 metresTechnical detailsStructural systemLoad bearingMaterialMasonryFloor count1

El Torreón de San Lázaro is round tower of masonry built on the shore of the Caleta de San Lazaro.^[1] The Torreón de San Lázaro is approximately 4.57 metres (15.0 ft) in diameter and 9.14 metres (30.0 ft) high with embrasures along its wall at the intermediate level and a battlement parapet at the third level roof. It has a wooden entry door at ground level. With the passage of time, the San Lazaro cove was filled and the tower was included in a Republican-era park named after Major General Antonio Maceo. In an 1853 map of Havana it is shown as the Torreón de Vijias (lookouts). In 1982, the Torreón was inscribed along with other historic sites in Old Havana on the UNESCO World Heritage List, because of the city's importance in the European conquest of the New World and its unique architecture.^[2]

History

From this fortification a lookout could warn military forces by way of torches of threats of attack by corsairs and pirates. In this regard, it served as a link in the defense chain between the Batería de la Reina, La Punta, and the Santa Clara Battery located at the site of today's Hotel Nacional.^[3]

Gallery

Batería de la de la Reina
Map of Habana 1866
Hospital de San Lázaro, founded in 1781, showing Caleta de San Lazaro

References

^ "Torreón de San Lázaro…! Qué vienen los ingleses!". 6 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
^ "Old Havana and its Fortification System". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
^ "Forts of Cuba". Retrieved 2021-11-08.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Torreón de San Lázaro.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Havana".

Havana landmarks

Buildings

Government	El Capitolio Palacio de los Capitanes Generales Palacio del Segundo Cabo Cuartel de Milicias
Fortifications	La Cabaña Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castillo San Salvador de la Punta Morro Castle Castillo del Príncipe Torreón de la Chorrera Santa Clara Battery Batería de la de la Reina^† Torreón de San Lázaro^† Castillo de Atarés
Banks	Bank of Nova Scotia^† Royal Bank of Canada^†
Education	Colegio de Belén^† Candler College and Colegio Buenavista^† Colegio Nacional de Arquitectos de Cuba Escuela Latinoamericana de Ciencias Médicas Instituto Técnico Militar University of Havana
Entertainment	Bandstand of el Prado^† Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva Sans Souci Cabaret^† Club Náutico José Martí Anti-Imperialist Platform Oriental Park Racetrack^† Radiocentro CMQ Building Havana Jai alai^† Tropicana Club
Food and drink	Modelo Brewery^† Bacardí Building Floridita Heladería Coppelia Sloppy Joe's Bodeguita del Medio
Hospitals	Maternidad Obrera de Marianao Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital Havana Psychiatric Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital Hospital de San Lázaro^†
Hotels	Hotel Pasaje^† Hotel San Carlos^† Hotel Saratoga Hotel Perla de Cuba^† Royal Palm Hotel Rosita De Hornedo Hotel Hotel Ambos Mundos Hotel NH Capri La Habana Hotel Deauville Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana Hotel Habana Riviera by Iberostar Hotel Inglaterra Hotel Nacional de Cuba Hotel Plaza Hotel Sevilla Hotel Tryp Habana Libre Meliá Cohiba Hotel
Infrastructure	Acueducto de Albear Havana Tunnel Royal Shipyard of Havana^†
Museums	Museo de Artes Decorativas Museo del Aire^† Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana Museo Napoleónico Museo de la Revolución
Religious	Abdallah Mosque Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Temple Beth Shalom Catedral de La Habana Iglesia de Jesús de Miramar Iglesia del Espíritu Santo Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula Iglesia Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje Iglesia de Santa María del Rosario San Carlos and San Ambrosio Seminary Casa de Beneficencia y Maternidad^† Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral Seminario Teológico Adventista Nuestra Señora de Belén Hermitage of the Catalans, Havana
Theatres	Coliseo of Havana^† Gaia Gran Teatro de La Habana Teatro Amadeo Roldán Teatro Hubert de Blanck Teatro Karl Marx Teatro Martí Teatro Miramar Teatro Nacional Teatro Tacón^†
Transport	Central Railway Station Ciudad Libertad Airport José Martí International Airport Managua Airport
Other buildings	Palacio de Aldama Palacio de la Marquesa de Villalba FOCSA Building La Mansión de Mark Pollack^† Lonja del Comercio López Serrano Building National Library José Martí Edificio del Seguro Médico Plaza del Vapor^† Villa Marista

Monuments

Memorials	El Templete Antonio Maceo monument José Martí Memorial USS Maine monument Memorial to the Soviet Internationalist Soldier Monumento El Cacahual
Sculptures	Christ of Havana Fuente de la India Fuente de los Leones

Areas

Natural	Almendares River Havana Harbor Caleta de San Lazaro^†
Neighborhoods	Arroyo Naranjo Barrio de San Lázaro Boyeros (Calabazar, Santiago de las Vegas and Wajay Cayo Hueso Centro Habana Cerro Cotorro Diez de Octubre (La Víbora) Guanabacoa Marianao Habana del Este (Alamar, Cojímar and Guanabo) Habana Vieja La Lisa (Punta Brava) Plaza de la Revolución (Vedado) Playa (Miramar, Puentes Grandes and Santa Fe) Regla (Casablanca) San Miguel del Padrón (Diezmero)
Squares, parks, and gardens	Paseo de Tacón Amphitheatre of Old Havana Quinta de los molinos La Alameda de Paula Parque Central Parque de la Fraternidad (formerly Campo de Marte} Paseo del Prado John Lennon Park Plaza de la Catedral Plaza de la Revolución Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Plaza Vieja
Streets	Obispo Street La Rampa Malecón Calle Monserrate Calle Zulueta
Urbanism	Havana Plan Piloto Arco de Belén, Havana
Cemeteries	Colon Cemetery Espada Cemetery^†
^† closed