Gonzalo de Quesada Park: from past splendor to present-day decadence
What was originally a beautiful recreational area in the then-aristocratic neighborhood of Vedado is now suffering from a progressive deterioration fueled by the crisis.
In Havana’s Vedado neighborhood, a few blocks from the iconic Malecón and also from Línea Street, lies Gonzalo de Quesada Park.
What was originally a beautiful recreational area in the then-aristocratic neighborhood is now suffering from a progressive deterioration fueled by the crisis that also affects its surroundings.
Semicircular pergola in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Two long stretches of straight pergolas in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.
The park — built in 1915 and located on the block bordered by C, D, 5th and 7th Streets — honors with its name and with a monument the illustrious patriot Gonzalo de Quesada y Aróstegui, collaborator and literary executor of José Martí.
But it is also known as Villalón Park, after the surname of the then Secretary of Public Works, whose initiative was to carry out the construction work on the site.
Monument to Gonzalo de Quesada in the park of the same name, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Plaque on the monument to Gonzalo de Quesada in the park of the same name, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.
Gonzalo de Quesada Park covers an area of approximately 10,000 square meters. It is not a simple open space; since its inauguration more than a century ago, it has been decorated with pergolas, lampposts, benches and marble slabs, as well as trees and other green areas.
These elements have remained there, although they have suffered the rigors of neglect and time.
Remains of what was once a lamppost in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.A hacked bench (in the foreground) in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.
One of the park’s distinctive features was the placement of the sculpture of the god Neptune, which previously traveled to various places in Havana after arriving from Italy during colonial times by order of Captain General Miguel Tacón.
The sculpture remained in that location until, after restoration work at the end of the 20th century, it was returned to the vicinity of Havana Bay, and a figure of the goddess Venus was placed in its place.
Signs of neglect at the fountain with a statue of Venus, in Havana’s Gonzalo de Quesada Park. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Sculpture of the goddess Venus where the statue of the god Neptune once stood, in Havana’s Gonzalo de Quesada Park. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.
Although it has undergone several restorations, time, misuse and the crisis have taken their toll on Gonzalo de Quesada Park, as they have on so many other sites and buildings in Cuba.
Cracked columns, fallen lampposts, hacked benches, graffiti and damage to various structures, signs of filth and neglect, are part of its everyday landscape. On one corner, the ruins of the Amadeo Roldán Theater also contrast with the luxurious hotels that rise nearby.
This is how this Havana park is revealed to us through the photos of Otmaro Rodríguez, a testament to its current decadence, even though it continues to be a popular transit point for residents and pedestrians.
Hacked benches under a pergola in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Deterioration of the columns supporting a pergola in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Motor area and cistern to supply water to the fountain in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Collapsed lamppost in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Rear of the semicircular white marble structure in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Graffiti on the Cuban coat of arms on the monument to Gonzalo de Quesada, in the park of the same name, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Well-water pump in Gonzalo de Quesada Park, Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Flower vendor in Gonzalo de Quesada Park in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Former Teatro Auditorium, later Amadeo Roldan Theater, now in poor condition, on a corner of Gonzalo de Quesada Park in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Former Auditorium Theater, later Amadeo Roldan Theater, now in poor condition, on a corner of Gonzalo de Quesada Park in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.House where Major General Máximo Gómez died, on a corner of Gonzalo de Quesada Park in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Diocesan Office of Cáritas Habana, near Gonzalo de Quesada Park. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.Garbage dump on a corner of Gonzalo de Quesada Park in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.
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