The Parque Francisco de Albear y Lara

The park is dedicated in memory of the tireless Spanish military engineer Francisco de Albear y Fernández de Lara (1816-1887) that devoted the last 30 years of his life to increase the quality of life in Cuba. He succeeded in numerous works that contributed to the development of Cuba, such as the construction of the San Jorge Bridge over the Bacuranao River and the road between Havana and Guanajay.  He installed the first telegraph lines that exist in Cuba. Several of his projects were transferred into practice later, like the central highway project for the island, and the project of building the Meteorological Observatory. However, his greatest service to the island that immortalized him, was no doubt the construction of the conveyance system of water of the del Vento springs to Havana, currently known as the Acueducto de Albear.

ACUEDUCTO DE ALBEAR

At the beginning of the 19th century, access to water was a major problem in the city of Havana, as the old water channel, Zanja Real, was neither sufficient for the population, nor clean enough to be used as drinking water safely. There had been severe epidemies of cholera from 1850 to 1870, and the mortality secondary to the dysentery and the other waterborne diseases was rather high. Thus, the construction of a new water supply system was a necessity and priority for the improvement of the sanitary conditions of the city.

In 1852, a commission was created by the order of the Governor and the Captain General of Cuba José Gutiérrez de la Concha and Francisco de Albear y Fernández de Lara, the Colonel of the Corps of Engineers of the Spanish army and the chairman of the Public Works Committee of Cuba, was given the task to find urgent solutions for this problem as the head of this commission.

Francisco de Albear decided to use the del Vento springs, as its water was of superior quality and its source was located 41 meters higher than the city, a feature that enabled to take the advantage of the gravity during the conduction of the water. The chemical studies revealed that the water of the del Vento springs and the water of the Almendares river should be not mixed to prevent the quality of the water. Extensive geological and hydrological field surveys ascertained that the springs of the del Vento had the capacity to cover the water requirements of the city. After these extensive investigations Francisco de Albear could complete his report in 1855. The conveyance of the water of the Vento springs to Havana was ordered by a Royal Decree to the Governor and the Captain General of Cuba José Gutiérrez de la Concha in 1858. According to the decree, all payments made from the income provided by the Fernando II aqueduct would be suspended for three years, imposing an annual fee of 45 pesos for each water tap.

The construction of the conveyance system began in 1861. However, it progressed extremely slow due to the financial difficulties and the disturbances created by the Ten Years’ War. After the Pact of Zanjon, the first part of the canal could finally be completed and the link of the De Vento Canal and the filters of the Fernando VII aqueduct could finally be connected in 1878.

Francisco de Albear got malaria and died in 1887, without seeing the completion of his project. The project was continued by the engineer Joaquín Ruiz that had assisted de Albear before. The work started in 1890 and the last part of the construction could be completed by an American company, coordinated by E. Sherman Gould, in 1893, 41 years after the start of the project by de Albear.

Even though it was a project of constructing a conveyance system of water to the city, Francisco de Albear also worked on the water distribution network in the city. In 1874 he made the first complete topographic survey of the city and prepared a 1:5000 plan of the city. He designed the water network on this plan and determined the places of the water storage tanks and water towers.

The water supply system was expanded in 1925-1931 and in 1947-1948 to meet the requirements of the increasing population of Havana. The Albear aqueduct still works, as it needs only the pumping power of its source. Currently, it supplies about 12% of the population of Havana, including Old Havana, Central Havana, Cerro, October 10 and Plaza de la Revolution. In 2009 it was declared a National Monument. It is considered, along with the Bacunayagua bridge, the tunnel of Havana and the FOCSA building one of the seven wonders of Cuban engineering.

His project about conveyance of the water of the del Vento springs received a prize at the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia. In 1878 the same project was awarded the Gold Medal for technical and esthetic excellence in the Éxposition Universelle of Paris. The jury considered the project of Albear as a 19th century masterpiece of engineering and one of the most outstanding on a world scale.

The canal has an oval cross section. It has a depth of 2,4 m and a maximum width of 2 m. At normal water levels it can discharge about 140.000 m³ per day; at higher levels up to about 300.000 m³ per day.

THE ERECTION OF THE STATUE

In 1891 the city council decided to erect a monument in the memory of de Albear and consigned 6.000 dollars for this purpose. Initially, the Colón Cemetery was chosen as the site for the monument, but later the Plazuela de Monserrate, where a small park with trees, garden and lights was, was chosen as a privileged place that could be used to place the commemorative statue. The city council had paid six thousand pesos for the design of this small park a few years before; it was an excessive amount in those years.

The Cuban sculptor José Vilalta de Saavedra was commissioned for the design of the monument. The first model of the monument was completed by Saavedra in Italy in 1893. The photos of the model that was presented to the city council, were published in the pictorial El Fígaro in 1894. The first model differs from the current monument particularly in the position of the hands of de Albear and in the dress of the female figure that looked somewhat hieratic.

In 1895, the statue of the great benefactor of the city was unveiled with a great ceremony, and the the Plazuela de Monserrate received its new name, the Plazuela de Albear (or Parquecito de Albear). The park, rich by palm trees, was illuminated by four well-decorated lampposts. The low walls that delimit the park were built as benches. It is interesting that the statue of José Martí that was unveiled in 1905, was erected directly opposite the statue of de Albear, in a position that they look to each other.

During the years 2004 and 2005 a restoration was carried out in the square and the monument, with the aim of returning the place to its original splendor. The hydraulic system of the water source was restituted, the vegetation renewed, and a lighting system was placed.

THE MONUMENT

The monument of de Albear is located in one of the busiest spaces in Havana. It stands in a small park at the entrance of the crowded Obispo street, surrounded by favorite places for the tourists, like the bar restaurant El Floridita, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and the Bacardí building.

The staue of de Albaar is made of white Carrera marble. It is the work of José Vilalta deSaavedra. José Vilalta de Saavedra was also the sculptor of the José Martí statue in Parque Central, the sculptural set las virtudes (the virtues) of the Cemetery of Columbus in Havana, the monument, erected to pay tribute to the eight medical students that were shot in 1871 and several busts of important protagonists of Cuban history. 

De Albaar is represented standing in his uniform, with the head slightly inclined over the notebook that he holds at his left arm, whereas he holds a pen at his right hand. He looks like as if he is making the last corrections of his report. His left foot emerges from the pilaster, reflecting his restless spirit. The life size statue of the military engineer stands on 3 meters-high white marble pilaster that is decorated nicely with a wreath of flowers and the figures of some instruments used by the engineer.

The white marble platform on that the statue of de Albaar stands, is in rectangular shape and can be accessed through four steps. On the platform stands the statue of a woman. As it can be understood from the coat of arms of Havana on her chest, she represents the city. She extends her left arm in a gesture, as if she invites everybody to accompany her when she offers the laurel to de Albear that she holds in her right hand.  Her dress is one of the admirable details of the monument.

The monument is surrounded by three croissant-shaped, small fountains with several jets that alludes to the excellent work of the benefactor, the Albear aquaduct, and recalls the fountain that existed very close to the Monserrate gate in the 17th century that supplied the city close to this site.

In front of the pilaster there is an honorary inscription: La cuidad de Habana erige este monumento a su ilustre hijo el eminente ingeniero D. Francisco de Albear y Lara (The city of Havana erects this monument to its illustrious son the eminent engineer D. Francisco de Albear y Lara).

The monument is protected by an elaborate white-painted fence.