The Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba are the remains of several 19th-century coffee plantations located in the foothills of the
Sierra Maestra
The Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. The range falls mainly within the Santiago de Cuba and in Granma Provinces. Some view it a ...
. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, eastern Cuba was primarily involved with ''
coffea
''Coffea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. ''Coffea'' species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor vario ...
'' cultivation. The remnants of the plantations display the techniques used in the difficult terrain, as well as the economic and social significance of the plantation system in Cuba and the Caribbean.
In 2000, the Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba was added to the UNESCO list of
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s.
Description
The World Heritage site includes 171 19th and early 20th-century coffee plantations ('cafetales') across southeast Cuba, grouped into seven distinct locations:
The plantations are in different states of preservation, from the Cafetal Isabelica, which is fully restored, so some that are completely ruined.
However, they all follow a similar layout. In the center of the plantation is the owner's residence, generally built in the style of
Basque architecture, adapted for a tropical climate.
Surrounding the owner's house were the slave quarters, made of flimsy wood and roofed with branches and leaves.
Each plantation also includes a terraced drying floor ('secadero') for coffee bean preparation and other buildings for milling and roasting.
History
French colonizers established coffee plantations in the 18th century on the island of
Hispaniola, but the independence of
Haiti in 1804 caused them to flee to Cuba, which was then under Spanish rule.
During the 19th century, many coffee plantations were established across the Sierra Maestra, but they were unable to compete with the coffee plantations of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Colombia, and
Costa Rica in the early 20th century, and gradually declined.
Today, only a few coffee plantations are still in operation.
Cuba Cafetal Isabelica molino de pilar P1080160.JPG, Cafetal Isabelica, Mill to process beans
Cuba Cafetal Isabelica secadero tendal P1080169.JPG, Cafetal Isabelica, Drying place called secadero or tendal
Cuba Cafetal Isabelica slavery tools P1080146.jpg, Cafetal Isabelica, Tools and slave chains
Cuba Cafetal Isabelica P1080166 manor.JPG, Cafetal Isabelica, Interior of the property
See also
*
Coffee production in Cuba
Coffee has been grown in Cuba since the mid-18th century. Boosted by French farmers fleeing the revolution in Haiti, coffee farms expanded from the western plains to the nearby mountain ranges. Coffee production in eastern Cuba significantly i ...
References
{{Reflist
World Heritage Sites in Cuba