Just a few meters from the bay, in one of the most picturesque and bustling areas of Old Havana, Luz and Oficios streets form a unique urban triangle with Avenida del Puerto.
There, Aracelio Iglesias Park is located today, paying homage to the port leader assassinated on the Havana docks in 1948. However, due to its history and present-day significance, this site is much more than just a place for pedestrians to rest or for residents and tourists to pass through.
At the intersection of Luz, Oficios and Acosta streets — the other street bordering one of the triangle’s vertices — the Coliseo Theater was built more than two centuries ago, the first building constructed on the island to host theater and opera performances.
The stage for the most important productions of the era, although fragile and with a wooden interior, it opened its doors in 1775 and stood for about 13 years, when it had to close due to its dilapidated state. It reopened in 1803, repaired and under the name El Principal, which it retained until a hurricane in 1846 brought its story to an end.
The Mascotte Hotel also stood at the intersection of Luz and Oficios streets. It was formerly the luxurious residence of the Luz family, of Portuguese origin, after whom the street was named. In the mid-19th century, its new owners decided to convert the building into a hotel, taking advantage of its prime location near the port and Havana Bay.
The establishment would later be called the Luz Hotel, like the street itself, and remained in operation until shortly after 1959. Afterward, the building suffered deterioration and neglect, which transformed it first into a vacant lot and then into the park it is today.
Aracelio Iglesias Park is the heart of the triangle. There, in addition to benches, lampposts, trees and ornamental plants, there’s also a bust of the port leader, a statue of Archbishop Makarios III, the first president of Cyprus, and other commemorative elements.
Its surroundings are equally well-known. Nearby is the Alameda de Paula, the first seaside promenade in the Cuban capital; and on the other side stands the so-called Emboque de Luz, the arrival and departure point for the famous Regla and Casablanca ferries. Also close are the Armadores de Santander Hotel, the port customs house and other historic buildings.
Photojournalist Otmaro Rodríguez traveled there, and this Sunday, through his photographs, he reveals the present-day beauty of this unique triangle in the Cuban capital.
