The Historic Centre of Cienfuegos, is located in the city of Cienfuegos in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. It was declared a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

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 ...

in 2005, because of its outstanding

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

and its status as the best example of early 19th century Spanish

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

. The historic centre contains six buildings from 1819–50, 327 buildings from 1851–1900, and 1188 buildings from the 20th century.

History

While visited by

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

in 1494, the area was first settled by pirates and freebooters beginning in the 1600s. Early settlers, often referred to as "

buccaneer Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 168 ...

s", raised cattle and made

jerky Jerky is lean trimmed meat cut into strips and dried (dehydrated) to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt to prevent bacteria growth before the meat has finished the dehydrating process. The word "jerky" derive ...

to supply to the

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

s and others who sought refuge in the bay. By 1740 they were raising tobacco as well. In 1742 King

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

built Fort Jagua to suppress the pirates' use of

Cienfuegos Bay Cienfuegos Bay ( es, Bahia de Cienfuegos) is a bay in the Caribbean Sea located in Cienfuegos Province on the southern coast of Cuba. It has served as a harbor for boats for many years. It has two of the most important ports in the country, one of ...

. The city was formally founded on 22 April 1819 by French and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

settlers under the command of Don Luis De Clouet y Favrot. The streets were laid out essentially north-south, east-west, forming square blocks. Today, the city centre still retains

eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...

architecture from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, much with neoclassical decoration.

Landmarks of the Historical Center

* Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. * Arch of Triumph. * The Botanical Garden of Cienfuegos declared National Monument on October 20, 1989, with 97 hectares. * The Reina Cemetery is an exceptional example of its type, and its architecture is inserted in the prevailing neoclassical in the buildings constructed in the city. Is the only in Cuba that retains its niches for burials. * The Fortress of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua (Fort Jagua) is located at the entrance to

. Strategically located at the entrance to the Port of Cienfuegos, this castle was built in the 18th century (1745) to defend Cienfuegos from the assaults of pirates and buccaneers. * Tomás Acea Cemetery. *

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

Park. * The Theatre Tomas Terry. *

University of Cienfuegos The University of Cienfuegos "Carlos Rafael Rodríguez" (Spanish: ''Universidad de Cienfuegos "Carlos Rafael Rodríguez"'', UCF) is a public university located in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Faculties The university houses the following faculties: * Agrar ...

Gallery

File:Jagua 5843.JPG, View of Fort Jagua. File:Cienfuegos Jose Marti.JPG, Cathedral of Cienfuegos. File:Cienfuegos maurische Villa.JPG, Valle's Palace. File:DirkvdM cienfuegos parque jose marti-perspective.jpg, Park José Martí.

Notes and references

Historic Centre of Cienfuegos Historic districts Tourism in Cuba World Heritage Sites in Cuba Historic Centre of Cienfuegos {{Cuba-geo-stub