The University of Havana

The University of Havana

The Havana audio-guided tour presents you with the University of Havana, the oldest of the island and one of the oldest universities of the continent, installed in the Vedado district since 1902.

Nearly three centuries of learning

Founded in 1728 by the Dominican fathers, the university originally provided five great courses of study: law, medicine, surgery, pharmacy and arts and letters. Initially located in the old town, it established itself in the Vedado in 1902. It today counts numerous departments and research centres, welcoming thousands of students from all over the world. The establishment was also a centre of political agitation, notably at the time of the coup d'état of 1952; Fidel Castro obtained his law degree there.

What there is to see

The university is distinguished by its great monumental staircase and its neoclassical buildings, become one of the symbols of the Vedado. Every year, a torchlight march there celebrates the anniversary of José Martí and pays tribute to the students fallen in the struggle. A place of learning and memory, it is discovered above all by its surroundings and its emblematic staircase.

Practical information

The University of Havana is in the Vedado district, in Havana. A place of teaching in activity, its spaces cannot all be freely visited; its great staircase and its surroundings can be discovered from the public space. Access to the site involves steps.

When was the University of Havana founded?

In 1728 by the Dominican fathers; it is the oldest university of Cuba, installed in the Vedado since 1902.

What role did the university play in the history of Cuba?

It was a centre of political agitation, notably during the coup d'état of 1952; Fidel Castro studied law there.