Established in the early 1520s in Habana Vieja, the Plaza de las Armas was designed to serve as the original main square for the military and government in Havana.[2] As Spanish custom when they laid out a new town, open space was reserved for a public square when the city was founded in 1519.[3] The Plaza de Armas was commandeered for military use by the 1580s.[4] The name was La Plaza de Armas, translating to "Place of Arms".[5]
In 1777, a church was demolished to make way for the new residence of the governor-general.[3] The Governor's Palace was situated on Plaza de Armas and occupied one whole side of the square.[6] In 1896, the square was described as consisting of four parks with Ceiba trees and a marble statue of Ferdinand VII in the center.[7] Ramón Blanco was the last Spanish captain-general to occupy the site, and after 1899, it became the executive seat of the Cuban government.[8]
The square in Old Havana was surrounded by historic buildings including Castillo de la Real Fuerza, El Templete, the Federal Supreme Court, and the Senate building.[3]
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