THE ITINERARIES OF HAVANA: FROM THE PORT TO THE WORLD

Among the emblematic cities of Latin America, Havana distinguishes itself with a peculiar characteristic: it ascended from a particularly miserable infancy to a true metropolis through its role in trade intermediation. This article analyzes the early stage of this evolution, when Havana assumed its dual condition of border: an outpost of the Spanish Empire facing other rival empires and an interface for Spanish Empire/ world and the emerging new economy/world. This condition triggered an intense process of accumulation and converted Havana into a flourishing metropolis at the center of the most formidable agro-exporting complex of its time, while simultaneously modeling a peculiar cultural matrix that has defined Havana as a typical port city.