Plaza de San Francisco

'Plaza de San Francisco de Asis' with the 'Lonja del Comercio building' in the middle. It served as the stock exchange until the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Based in the building are local and foreign companies, the Brazilian Embassy, news agencies like the BBC, the AP and the Habana Radio Station. Its construction began in 1907 and ended in 1909, on land that belonged to rich families. The imposing building was designed by architect Thomas Mur and Jose Toraya, under the auspices of the U.S. company Purdy and Henderson. It is recorded since then as one of the most prominent of the early twentieth century Cuba. The facade is Renaissance style and character eminently eclectic. At the top was placed a bronze statue of Mercury, the Greek god of trade.