Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Diaz
HAVANA TIMES – Its construction was commissioned by Captain General Miguel Tacon y Rosique in 1834, hence it was initially known as the Tacon Theater. The Captain General’s idea was to build a theater with greater capacity than the Principal Theater, which existed near La Alameda de Paula. To achieve this, he commissioned its construction to the Catalan businessman Francisco Martí.
Located on the block formed by the streets San Rafael, San Jose, Consulado, and Paseo del Prado, today known as Paseo Marti, it was inaugurated on February 28, 1838. At the time, the theater was the largest and most luxurious in the Americas and the third most advanced globally in technical qualities, following La Scala in Milan and the Vienna Opera. Many renowned Cuban and international artists performed there, including singers Jenny Lind, Maria Barrientos, Adelina Patti, Luisa Tetrazzini, actress