The José Martí Memorial was inaugurated by Fidel on 27 January 1996, at the base of the obelisk that presides over the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana; undoubtedly the largest monument dedicated to the National Hero anywhere in the world.

It was the Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz who promoted the idea of creating a permanent centre of reference there to the intellectual author of the assault on the Moncada Barracks. In 1995, and on the occasion of the centenary of José Martí’s death in combat, the proposal began to take shape.

At the end of the inaugural tour, Fidel expressed: «One feels satisfaction that a man like him has received this tribute, so beautiful, so aesthetic, because the combination of everything here is truly beautiful. The conception has been excellent, so, now we truly have a Memorial, which we thought we already had, because there was a Monument and the star. I think many people will come to see it, there won’t be a citizen who doesn’t come to this place.»

It is for this reason that the Memorial complex, the obelisk and the square together form one of the most important locations dedicated to honouring the Apostle, not only for its majestic height, but also for its historical dimension.

The preservation and dissemination of various valuable documents and photographs, which show the different periods of the Master’s life, as well as the continuity of his immense work in the Cuban Revolution, is the principal purpose of the José Martí Memorial Museum.

Thirty years after its founding, it remains an emblematic site of the Cuban nation.