Skip to:Content
|
Bottom
Cover image for The houses of Old Cuba
Title:
The houses of Old Cuba
Personal Author:
Publication Information:
London : Thames & Hudson, 1999
ISBN:
9780500282724

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 mansionp. 6
The island of Cubap. 9
Gateway to the West Indiesp. 9
The legacy of the Indiansp. 15
A haven for the conquistadors and the first settlersp. 21
The island's resourcesp. 21
The supremacy of Havanap. 24
Havana: a port first and foremostp. 24
The house as a place of safety in the sixteenth centuryp. 25
An architecture for the tropicsp. 31
An insecure way of lifep. 31
The advantages of life in Havanap. 32
The function of patios and balconiesp. 33
The power of the Creoles in the eighteenth centuryp. 55
The development of the colonyp. 55
The Creole house opens on to the streetp. 59
Trade and the growth of Havanap. 72
The houses of the merchants of Havanap. 77
Housing in the provincial areasp. 94
The Spanish colony in the nineteenth centuryp. 111
Growth and recessionp. 111
A multiracial populationp. 115
The new economic social distinctionsp. 117
The Cuban lifestylep. 120
The provincial colonial housep. 135
The creation of towns and villagesp. 135
The plantationsp. 158
Havana in the nineteenth centuryp. 165
Urban developmentsp. 165
Houses as status symbolsp. 171
Houses in the old townp. 172
Walking through the arcadesp. 182
The mansions outside the city wallsp. 186
The luxury country villasp. 189
Conclusion: An architecture in the spirit of the Cuban peoplep. 194
Notesp. 198
Bibliographyp. 198
Indexp. 199
Go to:Top of Page