PLAZA DE ARMAS. 
A group of interesting points which are near together and may be 
visited in connection, are clustered about the Plaza de Armas. These are 
the Palace, lemplete, Fuerza, Cathedral, and the shopping streets Obispo 
and O’Reilly. Near the Plaza is the Caballeria Wharf. 
It was the practice of the Spaniards when they laid out a new town to 
reserve a space in the center as a public square, about which the military 
and civil buildings might cluster, and the open field of which might be 
used as a drill ground for the soldiery, thus giving to it the name Plaza 
de Armas, or place of arms. In keeping with such a custom, this open 
square was reserved for a plaza when the city was founded in 1519. Here 
we get back to the beginning of Havana. On the east of the square 
nearer the shore of the bay still stands a ceiba tree descended from the 
ceiba which originally shaded the spot where the founders of the city 
held the first mass. On the north is the old fortress La Fuerza, well 
named the “corner-stone of Havana.” On the south was established 
the soldiers’ barrack and on the west was the first church. The church 
was demolished in 1777 to make way for the new residence of the 
Governor-General. In the wall of the building on the corner of Obispo 
PLAZA DE ARMAS AND PALACE.. 
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