Monument to José Martí

The statue of José Martí is one of the first erected. In 1899 it was chosen to replace the statue of Queen Isabel Second of Spain, by popular election.  

For its construction was collected the amount of $ 5000 and the work was executed in Italy by the famous Cuban sculptor José Vilalta Saavedra, after completion it was transferred to Cuba. Saavedra is also the sculptor of the statue of "La Milagrosa" in the Cemetery of Colón. On November 1903 the first stone was placed and the opening was in charge of Máximo Gómez on February 24th 1905 in honor of the tenth anniversary of the War of Independence. 

The monument is surrounded by 28 palm trees, for January 28th, the day it was born José Martí. The eight fountains that are in the parks represent the eight medical students.

Built with marble from the Italian city of Massa, in Carrara, Italy, consists of a pedestal, the shaft and the statue. At the bottom of the shaft are of high relief figures representing the homeland and other elements refering to people elements such as soldiers of the Liberation Army. At the top is the Shield of the Republic.

As a curiosity, at the place that now occupies the monument to José Martí, in 1863 was placed the Indian Fountain and the statue of Christopher Columbus that is now in the Palace of the Captains General.

Source: City of Culture of Old Havana.