Placetas
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Placetas is a city in the Villa Clara Province in the center of Cuba, with a population of 42,000. Close towns include Zulueta (to the north), San Juan de los Remedios (to the northeast), Cabaiguán and Fomento (to the east), and Santa Clara and Camajuani (to the west). The town is also known as La Villa de los Laureles because of its wild laurel trees.
[edit] History
Placetas was founded on September 9, 1861 mainly due to the sugar production industry. Nowadays, the main produce of the area is tobacco. The main contribution to its foundation came from Jose Martinez Fortun, a Spanish Marques. The town is located on the Carretera Central road, which cuts through the town. The town's position on this road has allowed it to serve as a stop for many travellers. Placetas has grown considerably over the years, being declared a town in 1881 and a city in 1925.
[edit] Administration
In common with other Cuban towns, the city of Placetas was originally divided in barrios. These were: Cabecera, Guaracabulla, Hernando, Nazareno, San Andres Sitio Potrero and Tibisial. Annual celebrations displaying the local pride of each barrio used to take place until the 1990s, when the government stopped them.
Placetas is also a Municipio of approximately 561km². The municipality is only one of 32 in the Villa Clara province. Cuba's geographical center, Guaracabuya, is located in this municipality.
The main Catholic church in the town is called San Atanasio de Placetas, after the town's patron saint. As of 1996, it had one library, a main post office, three middle-high schools, one police station and many recreational areas. Most of the town's structures were built before the Communist regime of Fidel Castro, and little of the town has been renovated since 1959.
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