Belén Convent, Havana

Take in a snippet of history at the colonial Convento de Belén (Belén Convent) in Old Havana, Cuba

Belén Convent, Havana
© Robin Thom

The Convento de Belén (Belén Convent) stands out due to its size and old colonial style. You can find this religious architectural work on Calle Compostela (Compostela Street) in Old Havana. The convent’s history and its art make it a place worth visiting during your trip to Havana.

Before it was a convent, this beautiful site was a school for the children of the city’s wealthiest aristocratic families. These families wanted to send their children to education independent from the rest of the city, which at the time was under the control of the Jesuits. After the school’s main building was constructed, a hospital, a lovely church with a bell tower and a second-floor infirmary was added. By this time, the convent was not only educating the city’s elite, but also aiding the wounded, poor, and sick citizens of the city.

Eventually, the convent was abandoned by the Jesuits and suffered several devastations. It was not until the 1990’s that the convent was restored. Today, visitors can tour the convent. It even houses workshops and other social activities for the elderly in the city.

The convent also houses an observatory used to predict meteorological phenomena. This is the same observatory where Father Benito Viñes Martorell made the famous prediction that warned Cuba of the arrival of a tropical cyclone in 1875.

Más información:

Ubicación:

Calle Compostela, La Habana Vieja, Cuba.

Horario:

De lunes a sábados de 9:00 a 17:00. Domingos de 9:00 a 13:00.

Precio de la entrada:

2 CUC.

Interactive map:

Havana:

Old Havana

Parque Histórico Militar Morro Cabaña

Centro Habana

Vedado

Miramar

What to see around Havana

Other nearby destinations:

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