Trinidad, the third village founded by Diego Velazquez after the discovery of Cuba, is in the southern coast of Sancti Spiritus, central province of Cuba and is also celebrating its 500 anniversary.
This ancient “lady” walks through time paying no attention to its threats. The village is still nice as if it knew, it captivates feverish admirers. It will celebrate its half a millennium, but Trinidad dazzles with an endless charm and had decided to revive those splendorous nights surrounded by those responsible of its restoration, turning this village into the dancing queen.
It’s been a hard job to restore its treasures with the will of those living in the village. However, days before the celebrations, devotion crowded the spaces of this place and recalled for many hands to give especial shape with the skill of an artisan.
“We have been able to found a great popular movement with an integration policy among the citizens, the unions, and the enterprises. Our purpose was to highlight the celebrations in such way with the intact grace of this city and end the projects to preserve our patrimony and improve the way of life of the settlers”, said Norberto Carpio Calzada, general director of the Curator Office of Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of Sugar Refineries).
Resurrection
Surrounded by paving stones and amazing architectural structures, all the typical elements in Trinidad are telling its history. You can just walk the squares, museums, churches and parks to understand there are the deepest roots of its essences and traditions. This is a reason why thousands of visitors from all over the world feel attracted.
“Almost three years ago we focused on different actions to make Trinidad reemerge. We have repaired 36 streets with paving stones; painted the facades of the thousand houses; asphalted streets; done the gardening and restored fences in the emblematic Plaza Mayor; and also carried out an integral revival of 12 symbolic streets. Among other important things, students from the Trade School have rescued important parts of the Catholic Cemetery, its vault and the identification in Latin,” Carpio Calzada noted.
Carpio also informed that all the museums were rehabbed as well as neighbourhoods like Las Tres Cruces. They are carrying out a long-term project aimed to restore the 13 mansions restricted to Valle de los Ingenios, elements of the sugar production boom in the colonial period. So they ended repairing and assembling the museum of Guaimaro house-farm, while Las Bocas, Guachinango, San Isidro de los Destiladeros, Manaca Iznaga and Algaba were also benefited.
Properties like the Casa Frias and Malibran received an authentic resurrection; their ruins were turned into venues of the recently finished model of the city and the Center of Patrimonial Documents respectively.
The cultural complex Amargura 85 also emerged from the ashes with meeting halls, rooms and an art gallery included. The walls of the church Santisima de Trinidad will be painted for the first time in centuries.
Between the guitars’ arpeggios, the sounds of the drums and the paving stones in the main streets, Trinidad shows the national traditions by the 110 colonial lamps placed in the heart of the city to lighten it together with the spirit of the people.”
The celebrations will take place from January 11 to 18, so the doors will be open to those who will like to witness the spirit of this “lady” that is 500 years old.
“There will be held some activities like the inauguration of the model of the city, the cancellation of a stamp, photographic expositions, visits with a specialized guide to places on restorations by the Curator Office from Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios; conferences of great personalities, and the presentation of La Abeja newspaper and the magazines: Excelencias Turísticas del Caribe y las Américas, and Arte por Excelencias, said Yeni Medina, director of Cultural Promotion of the Curator Office.
Eight galas, where the most important one foreseen for January 11 is included, will have the participation of around 300 artists.
Israel Calderon Fernandez, Culture director of the territory said: “We will have talents from Sancti Spiritus and Camaguey because they are places who are also about to celebrate their 500 anniversary too. The closing gala will be in Tres villas hermanas, with local artists, from Santiago de Cuba and Havana.
Competitions, events devoted to the book and the attendance of personalities like the academic Eduardo Torres Cuevas, Alden Knight, Julio Acanda, Mariuska Diaz, Candido Fabre and a long list of well known personalities will participate in the celebrations.”
People who had never seen Trinidad will find an unthinkable beauty and will reconquer those devoted. The fact is that when the rejoicing will be in silence and the good byes will come, they will never hide the charms of the “old lady” that will turn it into a dancing queen forever.
