La Ferminia: The Story of an Expropriated Mansion in Havana

In the heart of Fifth Avenue, in the Playa municipality, stands a mansion known to the residents of Havana as "La Ferminia." Within its walls lies a story of power, dispossession, and transformation that has indirectly influenced several generations of Cubans.

Recently, Facebook user Roberto Ariel Fernández Flores shared some images of the mansion in the group Photos of Havana and asked if anyone knew who its original owners were.

Internet user Cecilia García shared interesting details that helped trace the history of this expropriated mansion in Havana.

Celia stated that this house belonged to a wealthy lady, Matilde Montalvo. Another Facebook user named José Valiente explained that he was a neighbor of the Montalvos, who passed away in the 1970s, and the mansion became state property.

Who were the owners of La Ferminia?

The Havana mansion known today as "La Ferminia" is an architectural gem of eclectic style. It was the home of Matilde de Montalvo and her sisters Gena and Lola.

The family lived surrounded by art, lush gardens, and unique details, such as a private chapel, a swimming pool, and a lounge overlooking the garden with a bar. They had their own wine cellar and an impressive kitchen, which has hosted some of the most renowned chefs in Cuba.

The Montalvo sisters lived their youth with luxury and passion, despite spending their later years in considerable ostracism. Matilde married Nicolás Castaño Padilla, a Basque-Cuban businessman involved in sectors such as importation and maritime trade. She was his second wife.

On the day of the wedding, a scorned former lover of Nicolás attempted to kill him by shooting at him during the event. The bullet only grazed his ear, and it ultimately became just an anecdote that highlights the lustful tensions of Havana in the first half of the 20th century.

Nicolás Castaño Padilla was a prominent figure within the family saga, which, in addition to its powerful Cuban branch, had another strong line of Basque origin. His father, Patricio Castaño Capetillo, was an influential merchant and patron who expanded the family business in Cuba and Spain.

La Ferminia was the residence of Matilde Montalvo until it was expropriated by the Cuban government. They did it calmly, as the saying goes in Cuba, "with time and a little hook," because supposedly there were no descendants to inherit the property.

Another significant mansion in Havana with a similar history was the famous Casa de las Tejas Verdes, inhabited by Luisa Catalina Rodríguez Faxas. All her family and friends left the country, but she refused to abandon her home, and the government waited until her death to take possession of the property.

The fall and transformation of the mansion

The Cuban regime's policies on property expropriation, along with fate, life, and death, ultimately placed La Ferminia, as if by magic, in the hands of the State.

It is said that the inventories included everything from works of art to the family silverware, kitchenware, and furniture—everything.

Initially, the mansion was used as the "Sergio Pérez" culinary school, which trained specialists to work in the Council of State, the Palace of Conventions, and at protocol events.

Generations that were educated in this center often praise the level of teaching and the quality of the faculty. For a long time, the walls that once hosted family gatherings, lavish banquets, and intimate dinners later served as practical classrooms and kitchens of excellence.

The second change of ownership: From school to state restaurant

In 1992, the mansion became part of the state company Palmares, responsible for managing restaurants and recreational centers. Under its management, La Ferminia was transformed into a restaurant that offers Cuban and international cuisine, featuring a refined atmosphere that aims to preserve some of its former grandeur.

Its spacious halls, pergolas, and a wine cellar with high-end wines contrast with the sense of loss felt by those who remember its original history.

For years, the restaurant was highly regarded for its culinary offerings. The food was good, with excellent service and a very welcoming atmosphere, yet it never lost its family character, that peculiar feeling of being in a private home.

To this day, it is impossible to enter La Ferminia without being aware that social life is unfolding in someone’s home, where the absent owner seems to observe you from the tranquility of the mansion's beautiful gardens.

In this property, as in many other buildings, the regime changed the use of the premises but could not erase its essence; it was unable to extinguish the bourgeois spirit of the house.

Frequently Asked Questions about the La Ferminia Mansion in Havana