Italian architects, artists and engineers in Cuba

People from all over the world have come to our islands, leaving their foreign imprints on the material and intangible culture that represents and distinguishes this country and its people. From a constructive and urban point of view, it is clear Spanish presenceIt is also often easy to infer French and North American influences, both because of the immigrant colonies that arrived in Cuba and because of the professionals employed, as well as the technical and artistic influence these countries had on the world. The Soviet Union, due to the political relations established with Eastern Europe, is represented in a separate chapter, focusing on the first decades after the revolution.

he Italian immigration to Cuba This is unmatched by other countries in the United States, especially Argentina. Several names are associated with Cuban politics, business and art historyOrestes Ferrara is an example of someone who combined almost everything, and he also built Beautiful Florentine Palace in HavanaDolce Dimora (1928), today’s headquarters Napoleon Museum.

he Italian nationals temporarily or permanently transiting through Cuba Already left The city’s witnesses are as varied as the founding of the town of Mantua the wreck of some Lombard ships in 1605; and most of the monuments that adorned our city. Many Italian sculptors were hiredmainly between the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps the most prolific was Ugo Luisi, who created more than 20 monuments and busts commemorating different figures from Cuban history, most of which were built between 1912 and 1925 in Santiago de Cuba and other cities in the east.

In addition, it is worth mentioning Giuseppe Gaggini in Havana, author of the Fountain of the Lions in the Plaza San Francisco (1836) and the Fountain of the Indias (1837); Domenico Boni, Aldo Gamba and Angello Zanelli, authors of the monuments to Antonio Maceo (1916), Máximo Gómez (1919-35) and the Statue of the Republic in the National Capitol (1928).

It is worth noting that Several iconic buildings that set standards in Cuban architecture from the 16th to the 20th centuryrecognized nationally and internationally for its heritage value, They are made in ItalyThese attributes are concentrated in three fundamental moments. The first is related to the fortifications of Havana and Santiago de Cuba, where three military and hydraulic engineers named Antonelli designed magnificent Renaissance castles. Together, they represent the most advanced military building materials of the time, the most relevant architecture for the cities they protected, and Beautiful work of architecture They blend harmoniously into the landscape and form the coat of arms.

I refer to Bautista Antonelli (1547-1616) and his nephew Cristóbal de Roda Antonelli (1560-1631), who carried out the works of the Castle of the Three Kings of Morro (1589-1630) and San Salvador de la Punta (1589-1593). Cristóbal de Roda also drew up the regulatory map of Havana (1603), which had an impact on the reorganization of the street layout of the historic center. He was later accompanied by his cousin Juan Bautista Antonelli (1585-1649), Bautista’s son and apprentice to both, who was responsible for designing the fortresses of Santa Dorotea de Luna de la Chorrera (1641-43) and Cojímar (1648-49), as well as the fabulous Castle of San Pedro de la Roca, whose construction began in 1638 in the Bay of Santiago de Cuba.

These Royal Engineers are remembered for their influence on military architecture and civil engineering projects of the Spanish Crown in the Iberian Peninsula and in its territories in Africa and the Americas, especially in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. Our jewel of colonial architecturehas taken its place on the international stage, and with it the names of Italian writers, who until a few years ago were unknown in their native Gatteo.

and Italy’s Second Important Moment in Cuban Architecture It corresponds to the 19th century city of Matanzas, a model of urban planning and neoclassical architecture. Daniel Dall’Aglio worked there and designed two of the city’s most iconic buildings: Shoto Theater (1863) and the Church of San Pedro Apostol at Versailles (1870). They are emblematic works of Matanzas architecture and Neoclassicism became popular in the country due to the formal purity and clarity of its architectural designs.monumentality and artistic beauty, all of which are complemented in the theatre by its ornaments, ironwork and frescoes, and in the church by its magnificent wooden altarpieces.

According to Joaquín Weiss, the Church of San Pedro de Dall’ Aglio is The most relevant representative of Cuban 19th century religious architecture. Also in the New Pueblo of Matanzas, he redesigned the Church of San Juan (1869). In this case, only the main facade corresponds, since the temple was built in 1832. It is a simple church with a single nave, to which Dall’ Aglio gave a fine neoclassical facade and a central tower, a structure common in churches of the time. This Italian architect He had previously gained fame in Cuba for the decorations he created for the Teatro Tacon and the Aldama Palace in Havana, as well as for the buildings of the Marquis of Guamaro in Trinidad. Today, the Matanzas workshop and trade school bear his name.

he The third and final moment when the work of the Italian architect became a symbol of Cuban architecture of the timeIt was the 1960s, and architects were in the midst of the modern movement. Roberto Gottardi (1927-2017) Vittorio Galati (1927-2023), with the Cuban team Ricardo Polothey conducted Design and construction National School of Art (1961-65), Cuba’s most recognized work of modern architecture and an international milestone in its own right.

Gottardi was assigned to the Academy of Dramatic Art, Galati to the Academy of Music and Ballet, and later to the Circus School. Although none of these three works were completed, they, together with the two by Polo, represent the gains that this aesthetic trend brought in terms of compositional freedom. In these buildings, there is complete communication between form and function, able to evoke at the same time their architectural references, their intended functions, and even the sensory transmission of the practice and enjoyment of each of the arts that is usually learned in them. Likewise, they also come from Landscape quality that cannot be replicated.

In a way that might be seen as accidental, Many milestones in Cuban architectural history are attributed to several Italian architects and engineers.an obligatory reference for its urban landscape and a symbol of its best architecture. The vast majority of them have been declared national monuments and some have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.