San Carlos Institute
As the closest bit of the United States to Cuba, 90 miles south, this island has had a history intertwined with that of the Latin island since at least the 1870s, when Cubans arrived after fleeing fallout from uprisings against colonial ruler Spain. Founded in 1871 as a center of Cuban culture and education, the San Carlos moved once, burned down once, and was destroyed by a hurricane once, so the gracious building with columns, arches, and stained glass we see now actually dates from 1924. Have a peek inside at the lovely tile work, too. There are also exhibitions, but relatively modest and few—and most often devoted not to Cubans and their history in Key West, but rather to various aspects of the home country, such as the life of its foremost independence hero José Martí, and an interesting collection of photos I saw on my last visit depicting Havana’s monumental Colón cemetery.
As the closest bit of the United States to Cuba, 90 miles south, this island has had a history intertwined with that of the Latin island since at least the 1870s, when Cubans arrived after fleeing fallout from uprisings against colonial ruler Spain. Founded in 1871 as a center of Cuban culture and education, the San Carlos moved once, burned down once, and was destroyed by a hurricane once, so the gracious building with columns, arches, and stained glass we see now actually dates from 1924. Have a peek inside at the lovely tile work, too. There are also exhibitions, but relatively modest and few—and most often devoted not to Cubans and their history in Key West, but rather to various aspects of the home country, such as the life of its foremost independence hero José Martí, and an interesting collection of photos I saw on my last visit depicting Havana’s monumental Colón cemetery.
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