Havana was founded in 1515 by Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. The original name for this settlement by the bay was San Cristóbal de la Habana. According to folklore, Habana referred to an Indian woman. That legend is personified in Fuente de la India, sculpted by Giuseppe Gaggini in 1837. On her shield is the city’s coat of arms – three castles and the “Key to the New World.” Surrounding the Carrara marble pedestal are four dolphins with water flowing from their gaping mouths. Fountain of the Indian Woman can be found at the end of Paseo del Prado near El Capitolio.
