Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010059096 | NA7274 L52 1999 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
From the indigenous simple huts known as bohios to elegant neoclassical villas, from the grand palaces of the Spanish occupation to luxurious quintas or country mansions, all the secrets and enchantments of Cuban life, past and present, remain intact today in the city of Havana, in the towns of Trinidad, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba, and in the countryside. This superbly illustrated book reveals a Cuban architectural heritage that is often ignored or hidden from the view of visitors to the island. Drawing upon local archives, museum records, memoirs, diaries, and other native sources, Llilian Llanes describes Cuba's architectural history from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth. The evolution of Cuban architecture, influenced by climate and social conditions, parallels the cultural, political, and economic history of the island, and the houses and their decoration reflect periods of greater or lesser prosperity, as well as social inequalities. Courtyards, balconies, galleries, balustrades, grilles, and louvered doors: the evocative photographs, all in color, illustrate the subject magnificently with exterior and interior views plus close-ups of details. Extended captions explain the development of architectural features and the houses themselves over centuries and provide fascinating details of Cuban daily life, customs, and pastimes. 168 color photographs and a map.
Author Notes
LLILIAN LLANES is a former History of Art porfessor at the University of Havana. She is also the founding director of Cuba's principal art museum, the Center Wilfredo Lam, and has written two books on Cuban history.
JEAN-LUC DE LAGUARIGUE, a Caribbean-based photographer. Has published an earlier book on the houses of Martinique.
Table of Contents
Introduction: From cabin to mansion | p. 6 |
The island of Cuba | p. 9 |
Gateway to the West Indies | p. 9 |
The legacy of the Indians | p. 15 |
A haven for the conquistadors and the first settlers | p. 21 |
The island's resources | p. 21 |
The supremacy of Havana | p. 24 |
Havana: a port first and foremost | p. 24 |
The house as a place of safety in the sixteenth century | p. 25 |
An architecture for the tropics | p. 31 |
An insecure way of life | p. 31 |
The advantages of life in Havana | p. 32 |
The function of patios and balconies | p. 33 |
The power of the Creoles in the eighteenth century | p. 55 |
The development of the colony | p. 55 |
The Creole house opens on to the street | p. 59 |
Trade and the growth of Havana | p. 72 |
The houses of the merchants of Havana | p. 77 |
Housing in the provincial areas | p. 94 |
The Spanish colony in the nineteenth century | p. 111 |
Growth and recession | p. 111 |
A multiracial population | p. 115 |
The new economic social distinctions | p. 117 |
The Cuban lifestyle | p. 120 |
The provincial colonial house | p. 135 |
The creation of towns and villages | p. 135 |
The plantations | p. 158 |
Havana in the nineteenth century | p. 165 |
Urban developments | p. 165 |
Houses as status symbols | p. 171 |
Houses in the old town | p. 172 |
Walking through the arcades | p. 182 |
The mansions outside the city walls | p. 186 |
The luxury country villas | p. 189 |
Conclusion: An architecture in the spirit of the Cuban people | p. 194 |
Notes | p. 198 |
Bibliography | p. 198 |
Index | p. 199 |