The huge square that is called Plaza de la Revolución (Plaza of the Revolution) today, was conceived as the future geographical center by the French landscape architect Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier (1861-1930) that carried out many urban works in Cuba like Parque de la Fraternidad, Plaza de la Catedral, Paseo de Martí, El Capitolio etc. during his visits to Cuba from 1925 to 1939. The hill on which this geographical center was intended to be built, was called the Loma de los Catalanes (Hill of the Catalans), as many Catalan immigrants were living there. Loma de los Catalanes had the strategic advantage of being located between the main urbanizations of the time like Vedado, Cerro, Marianao and Centro Habana. Until 1961, the empty area was called the Plaza Cívica. After the revolution its name was changed to its current name to prevent José Martí to be affronted with a hypocritical homage and to convert the monument of the national hero into a true testimony of his memory.

Forestier designed the square in the style of the Place de l'Etoile (Place Charles de Gaulle) in Paris, where a lot of avenues fanning out towards many directions. Similarly, Avenida Paseo, Avenida Salvador Allende and Avenida de la Independencia are the main roads around the Plaza de la Revolución that connect the square to Parque de la Fraternidad (also El Capitolio), Malecón and Almendares river today.

In the time of the Plaza Cívica, the most important building in this region was the old hermitage, the Ermita de los Catalanes (or Ermita Monserrate, as the Catalans dedicated the hermitage to their patron Virgin of Monserrat), that occupied the area where the Memorial a José Martí stands today. Even though the acquisition of the hermitage, built by the Catalan immigrants, raised many difficulties, it could be demolished in 1951, so that the start with the construction of the memorial could be possible.

The idea of the construction of the square on the Plaza Cívica arose at the beginning of 1930s, when the provisional government, headed by Dr. Carlos Mendieta, issued a decree to erect a monument in the city dedicated to the memory of José Martí. Even though the first Pan-American competition for the monument’s design was held in 1938, it had to be repeated three times more until the last one in 1943, but the construction of the memorial and the square around it couldn’t start for a long time.

Until Fulgencio Batista took over the presidency after Carlos Prío Socarrás in 1952, the area destined for the square around the monument increased to more than twofold, but during the expropriation of the land to expand the square, carried out by the Ministry of Public Works, many inhabitants of the marginal neighborhood La Pelusa were threatened by the expropriation of their homes, if they would not pay money. The abuse was at such a degree that the young lawyer Fidel Castro assumed the defense of these oppressed people in 1951.

The significance of the square increased after the revolution, as it became the official meeting place for celebrations and commemorative ceremonies, as well as a place where Cuba showed the patriotic spirit by mass meetings that were organized against the injustices that was carried out to it by US.  The Plaza de la Revolución occupies about 73.000 m2, making it the perfect place for large meetings in that more than one million people can gather like in the First Declaration of Havana in 1960. The square witnessed also several mass, offered by Pope John Paul II in 1998, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2002, and Pope Francis in 2015. The concert Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders) in 2009 that was held in this square by the participation of more than 1 million people, can’t be forgotten.

The Plaza de la Revolución is bordered by the Avenida del Independencia (Avenida de Ranchos Boyeros) on the east, the Avenida Salvador Allende on the west, the Avenida Paseo on the south and the Aranguren street on the north. By passage of the time, the plaza became surrounded by important administrative and cultural buildings.

No doubt, the most important building around the square is the Memorial a José Martí. It is a favorite haunt for the tourists, as well as for the Cubans. The large area opposite to the memorial is dedicated to the parking area for tourist busses and cars.

One of the most iconic images of Havana, even Cuba, is the giant metallic sculpture of the revolutionary hero Che Guevara that comprises almost the entire eastern facade of the building of the Ministry of Interior (the grey concrete monolith located on the northern side of the square). The 16-tons sculpture, depicting the silhoutte of Che, is the work of the Cuban artist Enrique Ávila Gonzalez and it was installed in 1963. The famous photo of Che, taken by Alberto Koda in 1960, was used as the model during the construction of the steel sculpture. Below the sculpture, there is his most famous statement in his own handwriting: Hasta la Victoria Siempre (To Victory Always).  Behind the wall, containing the sculpture, there is the office of Che Guevara, preserved entirely untouched; however, it is closed to public.

On the northeastern corner of the square, there is the metallic sculpture of another key figure of the Cuban Revolution: 100-tons steel sculpture of Camilo Cienfuegos on the wall of the Ministry of the Communications. Camilo Cienfuegos is represented with his familiar cowboy hat. It is also the work of Enrique Ávila Gonzalez and it was installed in 2009. Below the sculpture, there are his words written in his own handwriting: Vas Bien, Fidel (You’re Doing Well, Fidel). The Hero of Yaguajay made that comment in 1959, when he was listening to Fidel Castro that declaring that the Columbia military barracks would be converted into a school. It is highly recommended to pass through the square also in the evening to see the silhoutte images, lit from behind by a golden glow that symbolizes the spirit of the Revolution.

The Teatro Nacional de Cuba, Biblioteca Nacional “José Martí”, Consejo de Estado de Cuba (Council of State of Cuba) behind the Memorial a José Martí and the Monumento El Legado Cultural Hispánico behind the National Library are the other important buildings around the square.