Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in eastern Cuba. Santiago de Cuba is located on the south-east of the island, some 540 miles east south-east of Havana.

The municipality extends over 704 km², and contains the communities of Guilera, Antonio Maceo, Bravo, Castillo Duany, Leyte Vidal and Moncada.

Historically Santiago de Cuba has long been the second most important city on the island after Havana, and still remains the second largest. It is on a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is an important sea port. In 2003 greater Santiago de Cuba had a population of about 500,000 people.

History

Santiago de Cuba was founded by Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar on June 28, 1514. In 1516 the settlement was destroyed by fire, and was immediately rebuilt. This was the starting point of the expeditions led by Juan de Grijalba and Hernán Cortés to the coasts of Mexico in 1518, and in 1538 by Hernando de Soto's expedition to Florida. The first cathedral was built in the city in 1528. From 1522 until 1589 Santiago was the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba.

The city was plundered by French forces in 1553, and by British forces in 1662.

On 12th June, 1766, the city was almost destroyed by an earthquake.

The city experienced an influx of French immigrants in the late 18th century and early 19th century, some coming via Haiti. This added to the city's eclectic cultural mix, already rich with Spanish and African culture.

Cuban poet, writer, and national hero, José Martí, is buried in Cementerio Santa Efigenia.

Role in the Cuban Revolution

Santiago was also the home of the revolutionary hero, Frank Pais. On July 26, 1953, the Cuban Revolution began with an ill-prepared armed attack on the Moncada Barracks by small contingent of rebels led by Fidel Castro. Shortly after this disastrous incident, País began talking with students and young working people informally, drawing around him what became an extremely effective urban revolutionary alliance. This developed into highly organized cells coordinating a large scale urban resistance that became instrumental in the success of theCuban Revolution.

Pais'group prepared carefully, accruing weapons, collecting money, collecting medical supplies. They published a cheap newsletter that reported news that criticized the government, attempting to counter Batista's censorship.

In the summer of 1955, País’ organization merged with Castro's July 26 Movement. Pais became the leader of the new organization in Oriente province.

On 1 January 1959, Fidel Castro proclaimed the victory of the Cuban Revolution from a balcony on Santiago de Cuba's town hall.

Change in province boundaries

Until a rearrangement of province boundaries in 1976, Santiago de Cuba was the capital of Cuba's Oriente Province, which included the present day provinces of Holguín, Las Tunas, Guantánamo, Granma and Santiago de Cuba.

World Heritage Site

The local citadel of San Pedro de la Roca is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "the most complete, best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, based on Italian and Renaissance design principles".World Heritage Site

Personalities

José Martí - independence hero
Frank Pais - revolutionary and urban organizer for the 26th of July Movement
Compay Segundo - Son singer
Rubén Cuesta Palomo(CandyMan) - reggaeton/hip hop singer
Alberto Juantorena - athlete

References

External links

Cities in Cuba | Port cities

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