SANTIAGO DE CUBA

Santiago de Cuba is Havana's rival in literature, music and politics, and is regarded as the 'cradle of the revolution' because of the pivotal role it played in overthrowing the Fulgencio Batista regime.

City, capital of Santiago de Cuba provincia, eastern Cuba. The second largest city in Cuba, it nestles in a valley of the Sierra Maestra that is pierced by a pouch-shaped bay. The bay's entrance, cutting into high bluffs that rise from the sea, is nearly invisible offshore. The chief bluff, about 200 feet (60 m) high, is El Morro, crowned by a colonial fortress, Morro Castle "Castillo del Morro".
Santiago de Cuba was founded in 1514 by Diego Velázquez, first governor of Cuba; it was moved a few miles to the present site in 1522. The settlement commanded a strategic location on the northern Caribbean in the early colonial period, and it served as the capital of Cuba until 1589. With the shift of population toward the western end of the island, Santiago de Cuba lost its leading position to Havana. The explorer Hernán Cortés was the first mayor of Santiago de Cuba.
Santiago de Cuba was a focal point of the Spanish-American War, and many reminders of that conflict are found in the area. Decisive engagements were fought near the city on the hills of El Viso (in the village of El Caney) and San Juan. The harbour was partially blocked by the scuttled collier Merrimac; and the principal naval action of the war was fought along the coast near the port on July 3, 1898.
The University of Oriente (founded 1947), a medical school, a sports stadium, a cathedral, and several museums are located in the city, including the House of Diego Velázquez and the Municipal Museum Bacardi, which is a cultural and tourism centre.
It overlooks the Bahia de Santiago de Cuba and many houses feature lacy ironwork balconies, pointed windows and narrow external staircases. The Cementerio Santa Efigenia is the final resting-place of many famous revolutionaries, including embalmed body of ours apostle José Martí.

Tu sei il visitatore dal 23-03-2001