The name Vedado (“prohibited”) arose because in the 1500s, in order to have full view of any pirates approaching, it was forbidden to build houses and streets here. By the 19th century, however, the city needed this space to expand. The unusual grid plan of Vedado was the design of the engineer Luis Yboleón Bosque in 1859. It called for pavements 2-m (6-ft) wide, houses with a garden and broad straight avenues. In the late 19th and early 20th century the quarter was enlarged, becoming a prestigious residential area for many of the city’s leading families and, today, it continues to be one of the most affluent areas of Havana.

Vedado has two different roles. It is Havana’s modern cultural and political centre, with the Plaza de la Revolución at its heart; and it is also a historic quarter with a wealth of gardens and old houses with grand colonial entrances.