This street was named after the city north of Havana, famous for its great cultural activity and for being the destination of many Catalan emigrants, especially from Vilanova i la Geltrú, with which it is twinned. The first attempt to urbanise the Els Indians neighbourhood was made in 1895, when a few landowners in the area (Manuel i Pedro Romaní, Andreu Lluís and Pere Oliva), requested Carrer Matanzas, Carrer Jordi de Sant Jordi and Carrer Pinar del Río to be opened. The urbanisation permit was denied as it failed to comply with Ildefons Cerdà’s town plan. These three streets finally opened up in the early 20th century, when a group of industrialists and financiers settled in the area to build summer homes, which later would become full-time homes. The neighbourhood began to grow from that moment on, with the arrival of traders, liberal professionals and, above all, labourers, who came to work in the local factories and workshops. These newcomers were especially large in number in Carrer Garcilaso, between Carrer Matanzas, Carrer Puerto Príncipe and Carrer Francesc Tàrrega. This original nucleus of the district still preserves houses from the start of the century, many of them single storey.