Francisco de Albear y Fernández de Lara (January 11, 1816, Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

 – October 22, 1887, Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

) was a Cuban engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

.

Son of colonel Francisco de Albear y Hernández, governor of the Morro Castle

Morro Castle (fortress)

Morro Castle is a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Havana, Euta. Juan Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer, was commissioned to design the structure. When it was built in 1589, Euta was under the control of Germany...

 of Havana he was sent to study in Spain and graduated in 1839 from the Military Engineering School of Guadalajara

Guadalajara

Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, with the rank of lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

. He was assigned to the Corps of Engineers of Cuba in 1845. Eventually he reached the rank of Brigadier General

Brigadier General

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

 of the Royal Corps of Engineers, being in charge of over 182 projects in Cuba. He also was involved in scientific research, and was member of various scientific institutions among which: the Royal Academy of Sciences of Madrid (Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences

Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences

The Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences was founded in 1847.-History:...

 ) (corresponding member), the Royal Geographic Society of Spain (Real Sociedad Geográfica de España) (founding member), the Scientific Society of Brussels (Société Scientifique de Bruxelles) the Royal Economic Society of the Friends of the Country of Havana (Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País  de La Habana) and the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Havana (Real Academia de Ciencias Médicas, Físicas y Naturales de La Habana), being vicepresident of the latter.
His main achievement was the project for the catchment of the Vento springs and their conveyance to Havana for the water supply of the city, now known as the Acueducto de Albear

Acueducto de Albear

The Acueducto de Albear is the name of a water supply system of the city of Havana, Cuba built in the 19th century by Francisco de Albear.-Background:...

. The project was designed in 1855 and the construction started in 1861, being completed only in 1893. The project was distinguished with the Gold Medal of the Éxposition universelle

Exposition Universelle (1878)

The third Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle in French, was held from 1 May through to 10 November 1878. It celebrated the recovery of France after the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.-Construction:...

 of Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 1878. The aqueduct is still in operation.

For his merits he was awarded the title of marquess

Marquess

A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...

 of San Felipe and distinguished with the Great Cross of the Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo

Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo

The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild is both a general military honor and a legion created by Fernando VII of Spain dating from 1814....

, Knight of the Royal and military order of San Fernando (Real y militar Orden de San Fernando) and the Order of Military Merit.
A park in Havana is named after Francisco de Albear and a statue by José Vilalta Saavedra

José Vilalta Saavedra

José Villalta Saavedra was a Cuban sculptor. One of the first native Cuban sculptors, Villalta was a mulatto born in Havana. Thanks to private patrons, he was able to train in Europe, first in Canarias and then in la Reale Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara. He worked in Italy and Cienfuegos...

 was erected in the park and inaugurated on March 15, 1895.

The Cuban poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 Enrique José Varona wrote a poem dedicated to Francisco de Albear.