Iglesia de San Agustín (Habana Vieja) Havana

               I came upon this church walking along Calle Cuba in Old Havana on my last trip to Cuba. I had never walked along the entire stretch of this street on any of my many visits to this part of the city. It seamed like every 2-300 meters there appeared a church, this is one of those churches that's almost hidden among all the houses. The Church of San Agustin is also known as Church of San Francisco el Nuevo.
               It was built between 1608-1663 under the patronage of St. Augustine. In 1842 it became the property of the Third Order of St. Francis & in 1844 the Franciscan friars of the First Order. In 1866 the Franciscans had to leave the church due to Spanish laws of secularization but were reinstated in 1896 by the Obispo Diocese. It falls into disrepair by 1919 but undergoes some renovations in 1925. The Franciscans once again have to abandon the church in 1966, once again by the ruling government but this time shutting down all religion. By 1987 the church is occupied once again but remained closed to the public with the Historians Office of Havana starting important renovations by 2002-3. It opened for regular church service in 2008.          





Calle Cuba esq. Amargura,
Habana Vieja, Ciudad Habana.
Teléfono: 861-8990