Trinidad, Cuba

Trinidad (Spanish pronunciation: [tɾiniˈðað]) is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries.[4] Trinidad is one of the best-preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.

This article is about the Cuban town. For other uses, see Trinidad (disambiguation).
Trinidad
Villa de la Santísima Trinidad
Municipality
The Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco in Trinidad
The Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco in Trinidad
Flag of Trinidad
Flag
Coat of arms of Trinidad
Coat of arms
Trinidad municipality (red) within Sancti Spíritus Province (yellow) and Cuba
Trinidad municipality (red) within
Sancti Spíritus Province (yellow) and Cuba
Coordinates: 21°48′15″N 79°58′59″W
CountryCuba
ProvinceSancti Spíritus
FoundedDecember 23, 1514[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total1,155 km2 (446 sq mi)
Elevation
80 m (260 ft)
Population
 (2004)[3]
 • Total73,466
 • Density63.6/km2 (165/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
Area code+53-41
Websitehttps://trinidad.gob.cu/
Official nameTrinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv, v
Designated1988 (12th session)
Reference no.460
RegionLatin America and the Caribbean

History

Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514[1] by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar under the name Villa de la Santísima Trinidad.

Hernán Cortés recruited men for his expedition from Juan de Grijalva's home in Trinidad, and Sancti Spíritus, at the start of his 1518 expedition. This included Pedro de Alvarado and his five brothers. After ten days, Cortes sailed, the alcayde Francisco Verdugo failing to prevent Cortes from leaving, despite orders from Diego Velázquez.[5]: 49–52 

The Narvaez Expedition landed at Trinidad in 1527 en route to Florida. Caught in a hurricane, the expedition lost two ships, twenty horses and sixty men to the violent storm.

Francisco Iznaga,[6] a Basque landowner in the southern portion of Cuba during the first 30 years of the colonization of Cuba, was elected Mayor of Bayamo in 1540. Iznaga was the originator of a powerful lineage which finally settled in Trinidad where the Torre Iznaga (Iznaga Tower) is. His descendants fought for the independence of Cuba and for annexation to the U.S., from 1820 to 1900.

Geography

The town proper is divided into the barrios (quarters) of Primero, Segundo and Tercero. The whole municipality counts the consejos populares (wards) of Centro, Zona Monumento, Armando Mestre, La Purísima, Casilda, Federación Nacional de Trabajadores Azucareros (FNTA), Condado, Topes de Collante, San Pedro, Manacas - Iznaga, Algarrobo, Pitajones, and Caracusey.

Economy

Nowadays, Trinidad's main industry is tobacco processing. The older parts of town are well preserved, as the Cuban tourism industry sees benefit from tour groups. In contrast, some parts of town outside the tourist areas are very run down and in disrepair, especially in the centre. Tourism from Western nations is a major source of income in the city.

Tourism

The city is located on the Caribbean coast near the Escambray Mountains.

Culture

Town
View of colonial Trinidad
Taxi in the city center
Plaza Mayor
Main article: Plaza Mayor, Trinidad, Cuba

The Plaza Mayor of Trinidad is a plaza and an open-air museum of Spanish Colonial architecture. Only a few square blocks in size, the historic plaza area has cobblestone streets, houses in pastel colors with wrought-iron grilles, and colonial-era edifices such as the Santísima Trinidad Cathedral and Convento de San Francisco. The Municipal History Museum is in town also.

Music

There are several casas de musica, including one next to the cathedral in Plaza Major. There are also discothèques, including one in the ruins of a church; another is in a large cave formerly used as a war time hospital.

Region
Sugar mills

The Valley of the Sugar Mills—Valle de los Ingenios, also a World Heritage Site, has around 70 historic sugar cane mills. They represent the importance of sugar to the Cuban economy since the 18th century.

The valley has la Torre Iznaga, a 45 metres (148 ft) tower built by Alejo Iznaga Borrell[7] in 1816.

Coasts and beaches

20 kilometres (12 mi) from the city is Topes de Collantes, one of Cuba's premier ecotourism centres. Another attraction is the Casilda Bay, which attracts both snorkelers and divers.

A nearby islet has pristine beaches. Ancón Beach—Playa Ancón, is a white sand beach and was one of the first new resorts to be developed in Cuba following the 1959 revolution. Along the Ancón Peninsula are three hotels: Hotel Costa Sur (South Coast Hotel), Hotel Ancón, and Brisas Trinidad del Mar.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Trinidad had a population of 73,466.[3] With a total area of 1,155 km2 (446 sq mi),[2] it has a population density of 63.6/km2 (165/sq mi).

  • A view from Saint Francis of Assini, Trinidad, Cuba
    A view from Saint Francis of Assini, Trinidad, Cuba
  • Plaza Mayor and Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco
    Plaza Mayor and Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco
  • Plaza Mayor
    Plaza Mayor
  • A typical colonial street in October 2000.
    A typical colonial street in October 2000.
  • Town hall
    Town hall
  • Tower of the Convento de San Francisco
    Tower of the Convento de San Francisco
  • Church of Santa Ana
    Church of Santa Ana

Notable people

See also

References
  1. Guije.com. "Trinidad" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  2. Statoids (July 2003). "Municipios of Cuba". Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  3. Atenas.cu (2004). "2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  4. "Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  5. Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, ISBN 0140441239
  6. Jorge Iznaga. FRANCISCO IZNAGA Iznaga Genealogy (IZNAGA - 1420 - Present), Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  7. Jorge Iznaga. ALEJO MARIA IZNAGA BORRELL Iznaga Genealogy (IZNAGA - 1420 - Present), Retrieved 5 December 2012.
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