Havana Historian Eusebio Leal joined them to explain them the history of the different places they visited, starting on the Plaza de Armas (Arms Square) in front of El Templete, the site where the foundational Mass of the city took place on November 16, 1519.
The Obamas tour historical sites in Old Havana
Under the constant drizzle, Obama admired the statue that is built in the center of the square of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, the Father of the Homeland, the man who started the liberation war against Spain in 1868.
Later the Obamas visited the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, headquarters of the Spanish government till 1898, that was built in 1776, and now is the venue of the Museum of the City.
Obama saw there a painting portraying the 16th US President Abraham Lincoln, before heading to the Havana Cathedral where he was received by Cardinal Jaime Ortega.
