Casas in Havana Vieja (Old) Cuba

Havana Old town (Old Havana) has been called the finest urban ensemble in the Americas by preservation experts. In 1977 the Cuban government named Habana Vieja a national monument and formalized a plan under the guidance of Eusebio Leal Spengler, the charismatic city historian, to rescue the city from years of neglect. As a credit to Spengler's efforts, Havana was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. Since then many buildings have received major renovations. In Havana old town of 3,157 structures, more than 900 have historic importance, and only 101 were built in the 20th century.