Database: Havana (Identity)

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Havana (Spanish: La Habana) is the capital and commercial center of the island country of Cuba in the Caribbean.

Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founded the city around 1514 on the southern coast of the island of Cuba after all previous attempts to settle in the area failed.

Havana served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the American continents and become a stopping point for the treasure-laden Spanish galleons on the crossing between the New World and the Old World. As a result, the city flourished both economically and culturally. As the city grew around its trade port, Havana became a target for buccaneer and privateer attacks. In 1555, Havana was partially burnt to the ground by the French corsair Jacques de Sores, forcing the Spanish Crown to build fortifications and by the mid-18th century, the city had reached a population of more than 70,000 people, exceeding the size of other New World settlements like New York and Boston.

From 1708 onward, the Templar activity was strong in Havana,with notably Grandmaster Laureano de Torres y Ayala appointed Governor of Cuba with the help of his allies in the Spanish Court, Establishing his own Order in the West Indies, he orchestrated Templar involvement in the Caribbean from his mansion within the city. Torres would also make many lasting improvements to the city, fortifying the island's defenses and kick-starting the production of tobacco. He remained governor until 1716, following which he retired and dedicated his life to charitable functions, such as financing hospitals.

The Assassin Order also maintained a presence in Havana during this time, running an Assassin bureau headed by Rhona Dinsmore and joined later by Edward Kenway; eventually leading to the death of Torres in 1722 and the decline of the Caribbean Templars.