Despite its deterioration, some of the house’s grandeur can still be appreciated.
By Juan Diego Rodríguez (14ymedio)
HAVANA TIMES – The historic Casa de doña Luz Godínez de Diago, as marked on the maps, a 19th-century building in Havana, no longer exists as such. This Wednesday, the building, numbered 1360 on Calzada del Cerro, suffered a partial collapse of its facade and roof.
“It is actually a relief because the building has been in danger of collapsing for years, and the fear of all of us living nearby was that it would end in tragedy,” a neighbor of the two-story mansion told 14ymedio. The demolition work has forced a power cut in the area.
“Since yesterday, we saw some sand falling, and shortly after, we heard the crash,” detailed a woman standing in front of the mansion, which once belonged to one of the aristocratic families of Havana who sought refuge in the Cerro neighborhood two centuries ago to leave behind the inner city, its noise, and foul smells. The mansion has gone through various uses in recent decades, both private and state.
“In the front part, next to the facade, no one lives, but there are several families behind,” the woman explained to this newspaper. A demolition team, with a cabin for at least two workers to hit the remaining walls with sledgehammers, was in front of the building located between Patria and Saravia streets this Wednesday afternoon. “They are going to have to hurry because it looks like a heavy downpour is coming,” commented another nearby resident.
The huge rubble from the collapse occupies part of the street leading to the famous Tejas corner, a commerci