The well-known American novelist Ernest Hemingway in 1940 bought the villa Finca la Vígia on the hill of San Francisco de Paula 15 km from the center of Havana, he lived in this wonderful property for 20 years.
In 1960 after the revolution Hemingway left Cuba to return to the United States and donated his villa and park to the Cuban people, the government and the ministry of culture have taken care of keeping the property in excellent condition by transforming it into a museum. The house excites as it is exactly as it was left by the writer, with all his personal belongings.
To preserve Hemingway's objects, paintings, records and even clothing, visitors cannot access the interior but the visit takes place by looking out the large doors and windows which are left open during opening hours, allowing you to take a look at the writer's universe. You will observe books everywhere (even in the bathroom), a large phonograph with the record collection and an impressive number of big game objects and trophies (the passion of Hemingway and his wife). Trophies hang on the walls. In the bedroom on the dresser is one of the typewriters as he loved to write standing up.
Next to the house, in the three-storey outbuilding, you can admire a second typewriter, a telescope and a deck chair facing the panorama of the city.
Walking in the lush garden you reach the pool where it is said that Ava Gardner swam naked, a ring for cockfighting and the small tombstones of her beloved cats.
On what was once a tennis court you will see the Pilar, the boat that Hemingway used for deep-sea fishing trips, pulled ashore.
If you love the history of one of the most significant writers between the 1920s and 1960s and if you are passionate about architecture and design, you cannot miss this wonderful visit.