Santa Clara, Cuba
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| Santa Clara | |
Street in Parque Vidal |
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514 km²[1]
226,900[1]
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Established
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1689
125 m
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Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.
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[edit] History
Santa Clara was founded by 175 persons on July 15th, 1689 from which 138 of them were represented by two large families living already in the area and, therefore, owners of the land of the next to to be city. The other 37 came from 7 other families, a priest and a governor, all of them originating from the coastal city of “San Juan de los Remedios”. The population of Remedios was torn between the option of leaving their city, constantly besieged by pirate attacks, or staying in place. While most of them finally decided to stay, these 37 persons traveled south and, on June 1st, 1689 they arrive to the hill where they rejoined the other two existing families. A mass was given under a Tamarind tree and the city was born. Since then, the place under the tree is known as “Loma Del Carmen” (Carmen’s Hill). A second generation church exists in a beautiful park along the place with a monument commemorating the event surrounded by a fourth generation Tamarind tree.
Construction of the city began not far from Carmen’s Hill. Following the Spanish standards, a perfect squared layout with a central plaza (Plaza Mayor today Parque Vidal) was developed. The first buildings erected were the Cabildo (City Council) and a modest palm tree church. This building was enhanced in 1725 to a brick one, and stayed the center of the Parque Vidal until August 22, 1923 when it was torn down in order to expand the plaza and build a new church close by. Back then, and still nowadays, this decision, taken by the mayor, was highly criticized. The building, while not a gem of architecture, was not entirely unpleasant to the eye and certainly an example of the older colonial structure in the city. Resulting from this expropriation by the City Council, a complaint was raised by religious figures and a total of 77 850.00 pesos were paid in fines to the Church, a considerable sum that would represent millions of pesos today.
Soon after the foundation, a theater, a chamber of commerce, meeting clubs, public libraries and dance halls were erected as well. The position of the city, almost in the very center of the country, made it as a perfect halt and a great communication link, east-west and north-south, creating a slow but unstoppable growth. By the 19th century, Santa Clara was bigger and more populated than the rest of the towns around, including what was once Remedios. As a necessary stop between Havana and the east of the country, the city gained the title of Las Villas province capital.
The city of Marta and Che.
Presently, there are two well- known figures associated with Santa Clara: Marta Abreu de Estevez, a beloved native daughter known as "the Benefactress of the City" and Ernesto "Che" Guevara, associated with the city, where he is buried, for having waged there the final battle of the revolution that toppled the Fulgencio Batista government in 1958.
Marta Abreu's deserved acclaim is due to the numerous projects she and her family promoted through their monetary donations intended to enhance the life of all citizens of Santa Clara. Marta Abreu and her husband Luis Estevez, who became the first Vice President of the young republic in 1902, were well-known sympathizers and contributors to the Cuban rebels cause during the War of Cuban Independence against Spain (known in the United States as the Spanish-American War).
Marta's legacy can be admired all over the city: an electric plant building, several schools, an asylum, public laundry stations by the Belico river (two of them still exist, unfortunately in poor conditions), the fire station that can be seen just a block off the Parque Vidal, the train station near Carmen's Hill, but first and foremost the "La Caridad" (Charity) Theater. The theater can be admired in one of the corners of the Parque Vidal in the center of the city. Marta was the project's sole financial sponsor. She personally supervised its design and construction. Although the building is not as grandiose as Terrier Theater in Cienfuegos City, the concept behind its founding makes it most worthy: the proceeds of the theater were destined for the support of the two schools Marta founded for poor children of the city. The schools, one for girls and one for boys, were located just behind the theater. They no longer serve the intended educational purpose. La Caridad Theater is one of the seven Big Theaters from the colonial era still standing. It offers an exquisite architecture and amazing interior. Marta finally donated her own palace to the city; it was used as a Provincial Government Palace and transformed into a Public Library afterwards. Today, it houses the "Biblioteca Marti" (Marti Library), also located on the Parque Vidal, and represents a beautiful example of Neo Classical architecture with finely decorated interiors. Santa Clara's University is named after her. Unlike the Argentinean Ernesto Guevara, Marta is buried in the Colón cemetery of Havana.
Ernesto Guevara's association with the city is much limited. With Camilo Cienfuegos, Che Guevara waged in Santa Clara the last and decisive battle of the 1958 Cuban Revolution against the Batista troops. After this battle and the capitulation of the Batista government, Ernesto Guevara remained in Santa Clara to conduct summary trials of numerous members of the Batista government, some more guilty than others; and to oversee the execution by firing squad of many of the accused.[2] These were the first executions of the Castro's revolution.
Parque Vidal, Santa Clara is probably one of the most traditional places in Cuba. During the afternoons, people (specially singles) visit the park to meet others. Although not widely practiced in recent times, the custom was to walk the park around and around. The women walk the inner part of the park, while the men walk the outer side. Another lost custom was for the locals to set up a platform and offer improvisations with their guitars on late Sunday afternoons. For that day they dressed with their Guayaberas and highly polished shoes.
Prior to 1 January 1977, Santa Clara was located in Las Villas Province. On that date, as part of a general administrating reordering of Cuba's provinces, Las Villas province was reordered into the provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Sancti Spíritus. Santa Clara is in the province now known as Villa Clara.
- Further information: Battle of Santa Clara
[edit] Education
Santa Clara is home to the Universidad Central de las Villas (Central University of Las Villas), composed of a conglomerate of faculties:
- Electrical Engineering
- Agricultural Sciences
- Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Sciences
- Humanities
- Law
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
- Construction
- Managerial Sciences
- Mechanical Engineering
- Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Distance Education
Offering Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees and boasting the graduation of 35000 engineers, licensees, architects, medics, and veterinarians, of which 1000 have been foreigners from 47 countries. Additionally, it has formed more than 310 doctors and more than 1600 magisters. In addition it collaborates with institutions from Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Spain, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela.
[edit] Monuments and parks
- Parque Vidal (Vidal Park)– National Historic Monument.
- Parque del Carmen (Carmen's Park)– City's Foundation Site.
- Parque de los Martires (Martyrs Park).
- Parque de la Pastora (Our Lady Shepherdess Park).
- Parque de la Justicia (Justice’s Park).
- Parque del Tren blindado (The Armored Train Park-Museum).
- Mausoleo Che Guevara (Monument and Mausoleum of Ernesto "Che" Guevara).
- Catedral de Santa Clara de Asis (Saint Claire of Asis Cathedral).
- Boulevard 1889.
- Centro Cultural El Mejunje (Cultural Centre "El Mejunje").
[edit] Personalities
- Rubén González - pianist
[edit] Sister cities
Santiago de Cali, Colombia - 1994.
Oviedo, Spain - 1995.
Bloomington, USA - 1999.
Cheboksary, Russia - 2004
[edit] References
- ^ a b Statoids (July 2003). Municipios of Cuba. Retrieved on February 15, 2007.
- ^ Taibo, Paco Ignacio, Guevara also know as Che, St. Martin Press, 1999.
