Santiago de Cuba, sus escenarios históricos

Description

1	Centro histórico urbano y conjunto monumental	20 1 17 N	75 49 46 W
2	Cementerio patrimonial Santa Ifigenia	20 2 10 N	75 50 21 W
3	Sistema de fortificaciones y sitios arqueológicos subacuáticos de la batalla naval de Santiago de Cuba	19 58 6 N	75 52 13 W
4	Paisaje cultural El Cobre	20 2 47 N	75 57 6 W

The city of Santiago de Cuba is acknowledged because of its cultural, material and spiritual heritage, a reflection of its unique history and of the events that occurred in it, some of which have transcended beyond its borders to become national and even international landmarks.

The many historic events that occurred soon after the town was founded by Spanish colonizers, the wars of pirates and privateers for the control of the Caribbean, slaves uprisings, migrations caused by international events, the Spanish-Cuban-American war for Cuban independence, the uprisings related to the revolutionary process in the 20th century, among others, forged a rebellious identity and a special awareness about the city’s history and heroism, expressed in the care for the preservation of its cultural heritage.

Therefore, under the heading of Santiago de Cuba and its scenarios, a groups of sites are nominated including the following places:

Historic urban centre and monument compound: The core and oldest part of the foundation site, which comprises the historic area built and developed between 1515 and 1898, in the elevations between 0 to 55 m above sea level, or the slopes and the hills of the town. This area is the oldest core of the city and it comprises a series of monuments related to several historic events occurred throughout colonial times and until the triumph of the Revolution.

Santiago was founded during colonization and was the seventh town founded by conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuellar in Cuba in the summer of 1515. By the year 1522 the Bishopric of Cuba was transferred from Baracoa to Santiago de Cuba and the town was granted the condition and title of City.

The original site of the town developed around a foundational square, around which the City Council and the Church were built. This foundational urban site, acknowledged as historic site of high value, was from the very beginning the site for the most important public activities, and also scenario for students and workers protests and struggles throughout history.

An outstanding monument compound is also part of the historic centre related to the attack in 1953 to the Moncada Barracks, carried out by a group of young revolutionaries under the leadership of Fidel Castro.

On the 1st of January 1959 the Revolution triumphed after dictator Fulgencio Batista fled from the country, and the rebellious city was chosen by Fidel for the triumphant entrance of the Rebel Army. From the central balcony of the City Hall, Fidel proclaimed the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.

Other outstanding sites included in the nomination are the Peace Tree, the historic park of the Hill of San Juan, the Fort El Viso, and Las Guásimas, which were the scenarios of the three major battles during the Spanish-Cuban-American. The battles during the siege of the city ended on the 16th of July, 1898, when Spanish troops surrendered under the so-called Peace Tree.

Heritage cemetery Santa Ifigenia: Considered an outstanding open air Museum, the Heritage Cemetery Santa Ifigenia was declared National Monument because of its outstanding heritage value, its relation with a city that has played a very significant role in the history of the Cuban Nation and the relevant role of its citizens in the struggles for independence.

The Cemetery was established approximately at the time when the first revolutionary war or first war for independence, therefore, many personalities, heroes and martyrs killed in battle or in action during the wars for independence were buried at Santa Ifigenia. Among those outstanding personalities in the History of Cuba are Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (Father of the Cuban Nation); Perucho Figueredo (author of the National Anthem), Mariana Grajales (Mother of the Cuban Nation), the martyrs of the expeditions of San Juan de Wilson and of the Virginius; José Martí Pérez (Cuban National Hero); as well as other 60 Generals of the Wars for Independence like Guillermón Moncada, José Maceo and Flor Crombet.

During the period of the Revolution in the 1950s, in the Cemetery were buried several of the Moncada Barracks attackers, the young revolutionaries that participated in the uprising on the 30th of November, 1956, and others who participated in other important events in Santiago de Cuba, for example Frank País. More recently, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz was interred at Santa Ifigenia.

System of Fortresses and underwater archaeological sites related to the naval battles in Santiago de Cuba:

This site comprises the system of fortresses built during colonial rule for the protection of the narrow entrance to the harbour of Santiago de Cuba, outstanding sites bearing in mind their essential role in the protection of the city. Some of these are the Castle of Fortress of el Morro San Pedro de la Roca (inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997); La Estrella; the forts La Avanzada 1 and 2; the Communications Casemate, the archaeological remain at the Batería Alta and Batería Baja of la Socapa, all interconnected in the architecture, homogeneity and functionality, which turn it into a cultural historic park. This particular site in the group was one battle ground in the Spanish-Cuban-American War, the final battle of which was the naval battle that resulted in the sinking of the Spanish fleet commanded by Admiral Pascual Cervera and Topete. This defeat meant the loss of Spain’s last possessions in America for the Spanish Empire.

As a result of the battle, the site treasures several shipwrecks, such as battle ships Vizcaya, Cristóbal Colón, Almirante Oquendo, destroyers Furor and Plutón, and also USS Merrimac sunk in the mouth of the canal of the harbour to impede the Spanish Armada from exiting the harbour.

Cultural landscape El Cobre: The small town and settlement of El Cobre is located approximately 20 kilometres from the city of Santiago de Cuba. This cultural landscape and its surroundings, declared National Monument, is a place with exceptional value associated with three major elements: slavery, mining and religion.

El Cobre, the Shrine of the Virgin of la Caridad del Cobre, is a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of Cubans and foreigners as well, who visit the site to pray to the Virgin, Cuban Patron Saint. Mention should be made to the fact that the industrial landscape shows evidences of the first mines exploited with slave force by Spanish colonizers in America, still in use at present.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

The justification of outstanding universal value is based on the following characteristics

• The expedition of Hernán Cortés most important political-military event at the time of the foundation, sailed from Santiago de Cuba to the conquest of Mexico, a landmark event that paved the way for the Spanish conquest and colonization of America.
• By 1524 Santiago was one of the most important cities in America.
• The Spanish-Cuban-American war was a universal phenomenon as the Spanish Empire lost its last possessions in America and at the same time a new political power, the United States of America emerged.
• The various wars and armed uprisings occurred in Santiago de Cuba led to a new phase in the history of Cuba: the triumph of the Cuban Revolution had a great impact in Latin America and the Third World in general.
• First cults to the Virgin de la Caridad, turned into Cuban Patron Saint.
• El Cobre is described as the place of the first slave uprising in Cuba, and the copper mines were the first mines exploited by the Spaniards in America and the first place that used slave work force.
• The attack against the Moncada Barracks by the so-called Generation of the Centennial (centennial anniversary of José Martí’s birth) and the uprising on November 30th led by young people in Santiago became landmarks in the struggle to overthrow the dictatorship, finally attained on the 1st of January 1959.
• Santiago has been presented and decorated with the Honorary Title Hero of the Republic of Cuba for its extraordinary exploits and heroic feats in the defense of the nation and the conquests of the Revolution.
• The Cemetery Santa Ifigenia is the place of tribute to the great heroes of the Motherland, and specifically of two personalities of universal stature: José Martí and Fidel Castro.

Criterion (ii): All the sites are witness of the extraordinary interrelation between values, traditions, knowledge and conflict throughout several centuries in Europa, Latin America and the United States. Santiago de Cuba was the place from which the conquest and colonization of America started, and also of the end of colonization. In turn, it marked the birth of the United States of America, a new geopolitical power with an enormous influence in all aspects of life, economy and society in Latin America.

Criterion (iv): The sites also witness of have a diverse architecture of an homogeneous image adapted to the conditions imposed by the geographic environment, the climate, the topography, etc., which led to a unique image within the Caribbean thanks to the peculiar integration of the architecture and the geography.

All the sites are representative of the architectural repertoire in the Caribbean islands, from its origins in the 16th century to the present heritage, through the merge of various stylistic trends to present the unique authentic image that characterizes each site.

In each of these sites, the colonial architecture with influences of the Moorish, Baroque and Neoclassical merges with Eclecticism, Art Deco, neo-colonial, proto-rationalist, modern monumental and rationalism, to render a city continually renovated which expands its stylistic and formal nature in a coherent inverse group, integrating a unique and peculiar image.

Criterion (vi): All the properties have witnessed transcendent actions that played a significant role in the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, an outstanding role which that inspires glory and patriotic feelings. These are symbols of the rebellious spirit of the Cuban people.

The city’s oral and intangible heritage is the result of the cultural mix throughout 505 years conveyed from generation to generation and constantly recreated by communities and groups within the social, natural and historic contexts. In the urban landscape, living reservoir of the many expressions (both cult and popular) the identity symbols of culture in Santiago are found, patterns that differentiate the territory from the rest of the country and at the same time in the Caribbean.

Santiago de Cuba is a unique site with the diversity of a region characterized by constant migrations which in turn have certified its mix, therefore the existence of a serial cultural urban landscape.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

In general, all the sites meet the conditions of authenticity and integrity. Though the historic centre of Santiago de Cuba portrays in its urban grid architectural samples from various times and styles, the attributes on which its outstanding universal value is based, is perfectly visible. The implementation of a very special management plan, including the creation of the Office of the Conservator of the City, as well as the legal protection of all the sites, which have been declared National Monument, favour the conservation of the property and the safeguard of traditional, intangible cultural manifestations.

The limits or borders suggested in each site are intended to ensure the protection of all the elements on which the outstanding universal value is based and to identify potential threats such as earthquakes that occur in the region.

Comparison with other similar properties

During the analysis to determine the outstanding universal value of the site (or sites), the World Heritage List and National Tentative Lists of countries signatory of the World Heritage Convention were reviewed. And even though there are several properties or sites inscribed or in a process for the nomination due to their indisputable outstanding universal value, those sites or properties are not necessarily representative of the historic processes the scenarios in Santiago de Cuba depict. Furthermore, there are no antecedents of such situation in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.