José Miguel Gómez Monument

The José Miguel Gómez memorial

The Havana audio-guided tour takes you to the top of the Avenida de los Presidentes, before the José Miguel Gómez memorial, an imposing marble monument often considered the finest of the central promenade.

A hero of independence

The monument honours José Miguel Gómez, a figure of the modern history of Cuba. A patriot engaged for independence from Spain, he took part in the Ten Years' War and the War of Independence, climbing the ranks of the army to the rank of general. In 1908, he became the second president of the Republic of Cuba, until 1913. Inaugurated in 1936, fifteen years after his death, the monument consists of a great hemicycle, a bronze statue of three and a half metres and bas-reliefs retracing moments of his life. It was financed by a popular subscription.

What there is to see

The monument unfolds its marble hemicycle and its bronze statue at the top of the Avenida de los Presidentes, dominating the tree-lined promenade. Its bas-reliefs and its careful architecture, the work of an Italian architect, make it one of the finest ornaments of the Vedado. It is a choice stop for those who walk the great avenue and are interested in the history of Cuba.

Practical information

The José Miguel Gómez memorial is at the top of the Avenida de los Presidentes, in the Vedado district, in Havana. It is a public monument visible freely at all hours and on the level. It can be contemplated from the central promenade.

Who was José Miguel Gómez?

A general of Cuban independence who became the second president of the Republic of Cuba, from 1908 to 1913.

How was the memorial financed?

By a popular subscription, to which many inhabitants contributed; it was inaugurated in 1936.