The name of the street Monte (Calzada del Monte) gets it's name from the mountains that surrounded the primitive village many years ago. On June 10, 1902, the Havana City Council changed the name of street to Avenida Máximo Gómez. However, the new name never caught on and Habaneros continue to call it by it's old name, Monte. It's an important artery that connects several municipalities....Centro Habana, Cerro, Habana Vieja and Plaza de la Revolución. It has been and continues to be one of the busiest streets in the center of Havana, perhaps the busiest for its commercial activity and access to many places. It extends from Avenida Belgica (known as Calle Egido at this point) to the street Calzada de Infanta at the corner of Esquina de Tejas , where it continues on as the street Calzada del Cerro. It quickly became a prefered commercial route during Cuba's Republican years in the first half of the last century. It didn't reach the splendor of Calles Galiano, San Rafael or Neptuno but it was a favourite shopping spot for citizens with lower economic resources.
The Calle Monte of today is a far cry from it's commercial peak of years ago. Many of the establishments from the last century have been converted into homes and underserved shops without air-conditioning or fans. All that's left of some of those shops is the sidewalk out front with their name imbedded in the cement....years of walking over it has yet to wear it out. The sidewalks are broken, the buildings are dirty and most in disrepair but there always seems to be a lot of people walking along this area of the city.
Some Famous Events of The Past....
On this avenue, Máximo Gómez, the General in Chief of the Liberating Army, made his triumphant entry into the city at the head of the troops, on February 24, 1899.
The first car accident in Cuba occurred on this street at the corner of Los Angeles in 1906. The car of President Tomas Estrada Palma, driven by Mr. Luis Marx ran over a passerby. This first fatal victim of motoring in Cuba was the trade clerk Juanito Fernández, who died days later.
The crime most remembered in the country happened in 1939 at #969 Monte. A young Celia Margarita Mena was killed and then dismembered. Her body was cut into pieces and hidden in different parts of the capital. Mr. René Hidalgo Ramos was arrested for the crime and sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Some Addresses of note......
#301 Maximo Gomez had what the Cubans called the 10 cent store (what we called a five & dime) which was one of several Woolworth Stores that existed at the time in Havana....now called Monte Varieties
#259 Maximo Gomez was the department store La Nueva Isla
Maximo Gomez at one time was full of shops....some stores that existed once were; La Sortija, Casa Fraga, El Cadete, Isla de Cuba (which used to be the Isla de Cuba luxury hotel), La Isla, La Nueva Isla, El Gallo, the cutlery store La Sin Rival and many furniture stores including, La Casa Mimbre, La Defensa & the famous Casa de los Tres Quilos.
The pictures below start from Calzada de Infanta and end at Calle Egido.
The Calle Monte of today is a far cry from it's commercial peak of years ago. Many of the establishments from the last century have been converted into homes and underserved shops without air-conditioning or fans. All that's left of some of those shops is the sidewalk out front with their name imbedded in the cement....years of walking over it has yet to wear it out. The sidewalks are broken, the buildings are dirty and most in disrepair but there always seems to be a lot of people walking along this area of the city.
Some Famous Events of The Past....
On this avenue, Máximo Gómez, the General in Chief of the Liberating Army, made his triumphant entry into the city at the head of the troops, on February 24, 1899.
The first car accident in Cuba occurred on this street at the corner of Los Angeles in 1906. The car of President Tomas Estrada Palma, driven by Mr. Luis Marx ran over a passerby. This first fatal victim of motoring in Cuba was the trade clerk Juanito Fernández, who died days later.
The crime most remembered in the country happened in 1939 at #969 Monte. A young Celia Margarita Mena was killed and then dismembered. Her body was cut into pieces and hidden in different parts of the capital. Mr. René Hidalgo Ramos was arrested for the crime and sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Some Addresses of note......
#504 of Calle Egido, occupying the entire block of Monte, is the former palace of the Counts of Casa Moré, its first owners, and afterwards the Marquises of Villalba, a solid construction of 1872, considered one of the most majestic Havana palaces. Today it's known as the Palacio de la Marquesa de Villalba. At one time was the Murias Palacio Villalba Cigar Factory.
At the corner of Maximo Gomez & Agramonte was La Escepcion Cigar Factory.
#45 Maximo Gomez you'll find the ruins of the Hotel Isla de Cuba, built in 1888. It's across from the Plaza de la Fraternidad. On my last visit the building was closed off.
#301 Maximo Gomez had what the Cubans called the 10 cent store (what we called a five & dime) which was one of several Woolworth Stores that existed at the time in Havana....now called Monte Varieties
#259 Maximo Gomez was the department store La Nueva Isla
Maximo Gomez at one time was full of shops....some stores that existed once were; La Sortija, Casa Fraga, El Cadete, Isla de Cuba (which used to be the Isla de Cuba luxury hotel), La Isla, La Nueva Isla, El Gallo, the cutlery store La Sin Rival and many furniture stores including, La Casa Mimbre, La Defensa & the famous Casa de los Tres Quilos.
The pictures below start from Calzada de Infanta and end at Calle Egido.
Palacio de la Marquesa de Villalba
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