THE UPPER FLOOR - THE SOUTH PART

The most important room for the visitors that have interest in the history of the struggle of independence of Cuba, is the Sala de Banderas (Room of the Flags). In this hall some national treasures are exhibited, such as the original flag waved for the first time in Cárdenas in 1850. In the Assembly of Guáimaro, the first constitutional assembly, in 1869, it was declared as the national flag of the Republic of Cuba in Arms. It is made of silk. Right beside it, you will see a pennant made of silk. It is the first model of the Cuban flag, designed by Narciso López and a group of patriots, exiled in New York. The pennant beneath it, was brought to Cuba by Colonel O'Hara in 1850.

There is also another silk pennant, designed by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and raised at Ingenio Demajagua in 1868. It was an action that initiated the war of independence in Cuba. The certificate of donation of the pennant by Céspedes to the House of the Representatives of Republic of Cuba is on the display below.

The flag that the Major General Máximo Gómez used during the Ten Years War, is also framed and exhibited in the hall. Towards the end of the hall you will see many Cuban flags, used during different periods, each having a different story. There is also the flag of the Republic of Chile, sent to Cuba by the President Dr. Salvador Allende.

The oil painting portraits of the most known heroes of the struggle for independence, such as Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Calixto García Íñiguez, Ignacio Agramonte y Loynaz, Antonio Maceo Grajales, José Julián Martí Pérez, Máximo Gómez Báez etc. are brought together and hung side by side at the wall (27 personalities). At the end of the hall you will see also large-format portraits of Calixto García, Antonio Maceo Grajales, José Martí and Máximo Gómez Báez.

Among the oil paintings in the hall the most remarkable one is La Muerte de Maceo, painted by the Cuban artist Armando García Menocal in 1908. It illustrates the fall of Antonio Maceo in the battle against the Spanish troops in San Pedro Arriba in September 12, 1899. There is another oil painting of Antonio Maceo: The Disembarkation of Maceo (1928) by Hugo de Soto (1984). Antonio Maceo is also represented riding on his horse by the Cuban painter Eduardo Urzais in 1897.

The oil painting of the Cuban artist Carlos Enriquez Moreno, done in 1939, reflects another painful event, the fall of José Martí in the battle against the Spanish in Dos Rios in May 19, 1985. Another oil painting, done by Servando Cabrera Moreno in 1976, belongs to the brave Juan Bruno Zayas, one of the youngest generals of the war of independence that had also a short life (1867-1896), illustrating him in the vanguard during the battle. In another oil painting by Servando Cabrera Moreno (1976), Panchito Gómez Toro is represented during the fight. Panchito Gómez Toro is the son of Major General Máximo Gómez and fell in combat with Antonio Maceo, when he was just 20 years old..

The hall contains a lot of personal objects of the top leaders.

§ the court sword (Espadin de Gala) and its scabbard, the gift of the New Yorker newspaper The Journal,
§ the machete,
§ the cedar trunk that he used to deposit his documents,
§ the suede leather slippers,
§ the lapel button of his uniform with the picture of Cuban flag on it,
§ the small compass,
§ the corduroy hat,
§ some pieces of flint stone and a yesquero (a wick to make the spark of the stone jump),
§ the leather case,
§ some military rank stars, used in the badge of his uniform,
§ the spectacles and their case,
§ the leather boots, the linen uniform and the felt hat that he wore during the combat in 1895,
§ the silk handkerchiefs,
§ the cockades,
§ the golden cornet with leather handgrip that he used during the invasion to the western part of Cuba during 1985-1986,
§ the long leather boots,
§ the revolver (Colt, 38-caliber, made in USA) with the leather bullet case that he used during 1985,
§ the leather bag,
§ the fan made of guano,
§ the machete with its scabbard that was the gift of José Martí,
§ the felt sombrero (hat),
§ the bakelite folding comb,
§ the case with bone comb, mirror and tooth stick,
§ the desk inkwell, presented by the members of the New Orleans Cuban American League in 1899 (stamp ink bottle, stamps, blotter),
§ the silk handkerchief, the silk napkin that was the gift of Máximo Gómez to his friend Maria Teresa Tavel de Moreira in 1899,
§ the commemorative ceramic plate with the pictures of the heroes on it, such as Máximo Gómez, Calixto García, José Martí and Antonio Maceo Grajales, sold as propaganda in 1898 to raise the funds at the end of the war of independence,
§ two porcelain cups, one of them made in Holland,
§ the porcelain dish with his picture on it, made in England

§ the walking stick made of bamboo rush and silver, given to Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances, the Puerto Rican patriot and the member of the Cuban Revolutionary Party in Paris during the combat in 1895, by Antonio Maceo as gift,
§ the photograph of Antonio Maceo in 1878,
§ the golden reliquary that contains the hairs of Antonio Maceo that he gave to his wife Maria Cabrales,
§ the silver barrette that belonged to Antonio Maceo when he was Lieutenant General,
§ the book about English idioms, given to Antonio Maceo by his wife Maria Cabrales as gift,
§ the revolver (Smith & Wesson, 44-caliber, made in Spain) used by Antonio Maceo during the Ten Years War (1868-1878),
§ the photo of Antonio Maceo in 1893,
§ the court sword used by Antonio Maceo in Costa Rica when he was Lieutenant General (it belonged to his friend Juan Bautista Quirós, the President of Costa Rica in 1912),
§ the rifle (Winchester model 1873, 38-caliber, made in USA) that belonged to Antonio Maceo during his stay in Costa Rica (1891-1895). Antonia Maceo gave it to the Swedish mine engineer Åke Sjögren as the reminder of their friendship on returning to Cuba in 1895. It was preserved in a museum in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and later it was donated to the Havana City Museum by Eva Wilson, the granddaughter of Åke Sjögren.
§ the golden barette, ornamented with brilliant and pearls. It was the gift of the Women’s Club in Costa Rica to Maria Cabrales, the wife of the Lieutenant General Antonio Maceo.
§ the pewter stirrups that he used in Guanacaste, Costa Rica,
§ the brush for the dresses that was the gift of Ceferino Cañizares to Macoe’s wife,
§ the leather campaign bag that he used during the combat in 1895,
§ the velvet slippers,

§ the revolver (Lefaucheux, made in France) with that he shot three times, when he met the troops in Yara in October 11, 1868,
§ the feather pen set, made of gold and nacre,
§ the comb made of tortoise shell,
§ the broken clasp of a collar pin,
§ buttons made of amethyst and pearl,
§ the fax message sent to him

§ the uniform,
§ the sombrero (hat),
§ the boots,
§ the pocket watch,
§ the oil portrait of Calixto García, painted by Victor Moscoso

§ the silk bag for documents,
§ the silk cockade,
§ the yesquero, made of gold and cotton

§ the primary edition of his book with the title Versos Sencillos (Simple Verses), printed in New York in 1891. He had signed it for her friend Irene,
§ the leather bag that he was wearing in May 19, 1895, on the day, when he was shot to death,
§ the nail made of gold extracted from the garments of the veterans of the war of independence. It was placed on the monument of José Martí in Central Park by the students of the night course of the Institute of Havana in 1949.

Additionally, the uniforms of Adolfo del Castillo y Sánchez and Jose Maria Rodriguez, and the personal objects of Francisco Gómez Toro, the son of Máximo Gómez, are exhibited in showcases.

At the end of the hall a wooden boat and a cannon are exhibited. The boat was used by Antonio Maceo during his invasion to the west. He crossed the path from Mariel to Majana by the help of this boat in March 15, 1896. The cannon, Hatchkiss 70 mm caliber, made in USA, was used by Calixto García Íñiguez during the battles in Loma de Hierro (historical place, located in the vicinity of the town Floro Pérez, Holguin; the artillery was used by the mambises for the first time here), Las Tunas and Guáimaro. The cannon was baptized with the name of Cayo Hueso (Key West) in homage to the Cuban emigrants that bought it by their own.

In a show case the saddle and its cloth, as well as the spurs, made of iron and silver, that belonged to the Major General Antonio Maceo, are exhibited. They were brought from the Army Museum of Madrid by exchange of historical pieces.

In the room Cuba Heroica (Heroic Cuba) the walls are covered with the oil portraits of the Cuban heroes, but the most striking pieces, exhibited in this room, are the different size and different caliber artillery models. The showcases are full of war materials, such as pistols, rifles, bags, trumps, cannon balls etc. A handmade cannon (cañón artesanal) that was produced by the Lieutenant Luis Martínez, deserves to have a look. Black powder was used as explosive in this cannon that could throw shrapnels and many other objects. Several machetes, used by different personalities, are on display. The machete that belonged to the Colonel Ernesto Fonts Sterling was made of the saber of a Spanish official that the Colonel had forgiven his life. The machete with its scabbard belonged to the Brigadier General Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso.

The Cabildo (City Hall) can be accessed through the room Cuba Heroica, as well as through the Antesala del Cabildo (Anteroom of Town Hall). Once the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales was built, the important personalities of the city that want to promote the socio-economic and cultural development of the city, were moved to this Cabildo room. The maces, made of silver, are the most ancient works of the silversmiths in the city, shining in the showcases. The room served also as a funeral chapel, in that it was held a wake over Leonar Pérez, the mother of José Martí.

The Antesala del Cabildo (Anteroom of the City Hall) can be accessed from the mezzanine by a wide staircase. The shields of the city of Havana and Cuba on the stained-glass windows that lighten the staircase, are outstanding.

In Sala de Pensamiento Cubano (Thought Room) the oil portraits of some outstanding characters of the 19th century Cuban thoughts, painted by the Cuban artist Federico Martínez, are adorning the walls. The oil portrait of the Spanish Queen Isabel II is hung on the wall.

In Sala de Armamento Español (Spanish Armament Room) a small collection of various weapons and their equipment, used by the Spanish forces in Cuba, are exhibited in showcases. Miscellaneous weapons, from the primitive flintlock rifle to the modern Mauser, bayonets, pistols, bullets, and a military training handkerchief are the exhibited pieces in the room.