Santa Clara is the capital city of the

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

n province of Villa Clara. It is centrally located in the province and Cuba. Santa Clara is the fifth-most populous Cuban city, with a population of nearly 245,959.

History

Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on 15 July 1689. 138 of them represented two large families already living in the area, who owned land next to the new city. The other 37 came from seven other families and included a priest and governor, all originating in the coastal city of San Juan de los Remedios. The population of Remedios had to choose between leaving their city, constantly being besieged by pirates, or staying. While most decided to stay, 37 people traveled south to the interior. On 1 June 1689, they arrived at a hill, joining two other families already present at the site. According to tradition, a mass was celebrated under a

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

tree and Santa Clara was founded. Since then, the place under the tree has been known as ''Loma del Carmen'' (). A second-generation church was built in a park along the plaza. A monument commemorating the event is surrounded by a fourth-generation tamarind tree. The settlement was originally called Cayo Nuevo, which was changed to Dos Cayos, Villa Nueva de Santa Clara, Pueblo Nuevo de Antón Díaz, Villa Clara, and finally Santa Clara. Construction of the city began near Loma del Carmen. Following the Spanish standards, a perfect squared layout with a central plaza (Plaza Mayor, today known as

Parque Vidal Parque Vidal (also known by its previous names of Plaza Central and Plaza Mayor) is a park located in the center of Santa Clara, Cuba, covering an entire square block of the city. Due to its surrounding architecture, combining eclectic neo-class ...

) was developed. The first buildings erected were the ''cabildo'' (city council) and a palm tree church. The latter building was replaced in 1725 with a brick one. It remained at the center of the Parque Vidal as

Catedral de Santa Clara de Asís The ''Catedral de Santa Clara de Asís'' (''Cathedral of Saint Clare of Assisi'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Santa Clara, Cuba, Santa Clara, Cuba. It lies on ''Calle Marta Abreu'', one of the city's main arteries, only tw ...

until 22 August 1923. It was demolished so that the plaza could be expanded and a new church built nearby. This decision by the mayor is still criticized to this day. Although the church was not of the finest architecture, it was one of the oldest colonial structures in the city and a part of its fabric. After the expropriation by the mayor and city council, religious officials complained and the court awarded 77,850 pesos in fines as a settlement to the church. Soon after the city was founded, a theater, a chamber of commerce, meeting clubs, public libraries, and dance halls were erected as well. Positioned nearly in the center of the country, the city became a popular travelers' stop and a prominent

transport hub A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between mode of transport, transport modes. Public transport hubs include train station, railway stations, metro station, rapid transit stations, bus ...

; these conditions supported its steady growth. By the 19th century, Santa Clara was bigger and more populated than nearby towns, including what was once Remedios. As a necessary stop between

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. Two well-known figures are associated with Santa Clara: Marta Abreu de Estévez, a beloved native daughter known as "the Benefactress of the City", and

Ernesto Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a u ...

, a political activist and leader of the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

. Guevara is buried here, where he waged the final battle of the revolution that toppled the

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (born Rubén Zaldívar; January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who played a dominant role in Cuban politics from his initial rise to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of t ...

government in 1958. Abreu is notable for the numerous projects she and her family promoted through their philanthropy, intended to enhance the life of the citizens of Santa Clara. Abreu and her husband Luis Estévez, who became the first vice president of the young republic in 1902, were well-known sympathizers and contributors to the Cuban rebels' cause during the War of Cuban Independence against Spain. (This was the initial phase of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

; the US became involved in supporting some forces seeking independence.) Abreu's legacy includes institutions all over the city: an electric plant building, several schools, an asylum, public laundry stations by the Belico River (two still exist, although in poor condition), the fire station a block off the Parque Vidal, and the train station near Loma del Carmen. The most notable building is the Teatro La Caridad (a theater named in honor of the patron saint of Cuba, La Virgen de la Caridad – Our Lady of Charity). The theater can be seen from one of the corners of the Parque Vidal. Abreu was the project's sole financial sponsor. She supervised the design and construction of the theater. Although it is not as grandiose as the Teatro Tomás Terry in Cienfuegos city, the proceeds of the theater have been designated to support two schools that Abreu founded for the city's poor children. The schools, one for girls and one for boys, were located just behind the theater. Teatro La Caridad is one of the seven major theaters still standing from the colonial era in Cuba. Abreu also donated her own palace to the city; it was used as a provincial government palace and later adapted for use as a public library. Today, it houses the Biblioteca Martí (Martí Library), also located on the Parque Vidal. It is an example of

neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

and has highly decorated interiors. Santa Clara's university is named after Abreu. She is buried in the Colón cemetery of

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

columns attacked the city; one was led by

and the other by

Camilo Cienfuegos Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán (; 6 February 1932 – 28 October 1959) was a Cuban revolutionary. One of the major figures of the Cuban Revolution, he was considered second only to Fidel Castro among the revolutionary leadership. The son of An ...

. Guevara's column first captured the garrison at Fomento. Using a bulldozer, Guevara's soldiers destroyed railroad tracks and derailed a train full of troops and supplies sent by

Batista Batista is a Spanish language, Spanish or Portuguese language, Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player João Batista da Silva * Dave Bautista, Batista (wrestler) (Dave ...

. At the same time, Cienfuegos's column defeated an army garrison at the

Battle of Yaguajay The Battle of Yaguajay (19 – 30 December 1958) was a decisive victory for the Cuban Revolutionaries over the soldiers of the Batista government near the city of Santa Clara in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. Background In 1958, Fidel Castro ...

not far from town. On 31 December 1958, the combined forces of Guevara and Cienfuegos (along with other revolutionaries under

William Alexander Morgan William Alexander Morgan (April 19, 1928 – March 11, 1961) was an American-born Cuban guerrilla commander who fought in the Cuban Revolution, leading a band of rebels that drove the Cuban army from key positions in the central mountains as par ...

) attacked Santa Clara. The battle was chaotic, and the defenders became demoralized. Some fought; others surrendered without a shot. By the afternoon, the city was captured. This victory for Castro's troops is seen as the decisive moment in the Cuban Revolution, as Batista fled Cuba less than 12 hours later.

Geography

Located on a plain below a hillside, in the middle of the surrounding province, Santa Clara is from the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

(at

Cienfuegos Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 178,368 in 2022. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, ...

) and from the Atlantic Ocean (at

Caibarién Caibarién is a municipality city in the Villa Clara Province, Villa Clara province of Cuba. Caibarién is known as "La Villa Blanca" () for its sands and beaches. They are famous for their "Parrandas" (Carnivals) along with Remedios, Cuba, Reme ...

). The municipality borders with the municipalities of Cifuentes,

Camajuaní Camajuaní is a municipality and town in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. History In 1819 was decided the construction of a new port in near Caibarién to replace an old one located in Tesisco. From that moment, settlers established in the sur ...

Placetas Placetas () is a city in the Villa Clara Province in the center of Cuba; before the change in the country's government in 1959 the province was called Las Villas. The town is also known as because of its wild Lauraceae, laurel trees. Placetas is ...

Manicaragua Manicaragua () is a municipality and mountain town in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It is located in the Escambray Mountains at the southern part of Villa Clara, bordering the provinces of Cienfuegos Province, Cienfuegos to the west and Sanct ...

, and

Ranchuelo Ranchuelo is a town and municipality in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1734 and has a municipal population of 50,708, of which about 15,000 in the town itself. History Originally named Boca de Ranchuelo, the settlement was fo ...

. The city is divided into several divisions (''repartos''): *America Latina * Antón Díaz *Bengochea *Brisas del Capiro *Camacho *Capiro *Cardoso *

Centro Centro may refer to: Places Brazil *Centro, Santa Maria, a neighborhood in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro, Porto Alegre, a neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro (Duque de Caxias), a neighborhood of Du ...

*Chambéry *Domínguez *El Carmen *El Gigante *El Vaquerito (Puerto Escondido) * Escambray *Escambray Este *Escambray Norte *José Martí *Las Minas *Los Sirios *Moro *Osvaldo Herrera (Dobarganes) *Páez *Raúl Sancho (Condado) *San Daniel * Sandino *Santa Catalina *Sub Planta *Tenería *Tirzo Díaz *Universidad *Vigía *Vigía Sur *Villa Josefa *Virginia There are 18 wards (consejos populares) of Santa Clara. They include

, Caprio, Santa Catalina, Vigía, Sandino, Hospital, Escambray, Chambery, Virginia, Condado Norte, Condado Sur, Abel Santamaría, and José Martí are a part of the Urban area. Camacho Libertad, Antón Díaz, Aereopuerto, Univerisidad,

Manajanabo Manajanabo is a town and ward () in Santa Clara, Cuba. Manajanabo lies on the Minerva Lake. Geography Manajanabo ward borders Sakenaf, Escambray, Vigía Sandino, Universidad, and Camilo Cienfuegos. Notable People * Gerardo Machado Gerar ...

, Sakenaf, Hatillo-Yabú, and

are part of the Semi-Urban area and San Miguel is in the Rural Area.

Climate

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality of Santa Clara had a population of 245,959. With a total area of , it had a population density of .

Attractions

Parque Vidal is located at the center of the city, taking up an entire square block. In the park, there is a statue of Marta Abreu, who is admired by the people of Santa Clara. Bordering the park is the Santa Clara Libre (formerly the Santa Clara Hilton), Gran Hotel, Teatro La Caridad (a National Monument of Cuba), Plaza del Mercado Central, the former city hall, and the Colonia Española de Santa Clara center of dance, exhibiting the most attractive and unique traditional customs of hinterland Cuba. Parque Vidal is one of the most quintessential Cuban places in Cuba. During the afternoons, people, especially singles, visit the park to meet others. Although not widely practised in recent times, the custom was to walk around the park. The women walk along the inner part of the park, while the men walk along the outer side. Another lost custom is for locals to set up a platform and perform improvisations with their guitars on late Sunday afternoons. They dressed for that day with their guayaberas and highly polished shoes. Santa Clara is home to a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

that houses the remains of Che Guevara and sixteen of his fellow combatants killed in 1967 during the

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

campaign. There is also a reconstruction of Guevara derailing the train during the Battle of Santa Clara. Prior to 1 January 1977, Santa Clara was located in Las Villas Province. On that date, as part of a general administrative reordering of Cuba's provinces, Las Villas Province was reordered into the provinces of Villa Clara,

, and

Sancti Spíritus Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin ''Sanctus Spiritus'' ("Holy Spirit"). ...

. Santa Clara is in the province now known as Villa Clara. Other local landmarks include: * Parque del Carmen (Carmen's Park) – foundation site of the city * Parque de los Martires (Martyrs' Park) * Parque de la Pastora (Our Lady Shepherdess Park) * Parque de la Justicia (Justice's Park) * Parque del Tren Blindado (The Armored Train Park-Museum ) – a National Monument of Cuba * Mausoleo Che Guevara (Monument and Mausoleum of Ernesto "Che" Guevara) *

(Saint Claire of Asis Cathedral) * Boulevard 1889 * Centro Cultural El Mejunje (Cultural Centre "El Mejunje") * Loma del Capiro – a hill overlooking the city *

Villa Clara Provincial Museum The Villa Clara Provincial Museum (), also known as ''Abel Santamaría Provincial Museum'' (''Museo Provincial Abel Santamaría''), is a museum located in the Cuban city of Santa Clara, capital of Villa Clara Province. History Originally, in th ...

– showcases a collection of art and social and natural history *

University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas The University " Marta Abreu" of Las Villas (, UCLV) is an undergraduate and graduate public university located in Santa Clara, Cuba, founded in 1952 and having a remote campus called " Universidad de Montaña" located in Topes de Collantes, the h ...

– the province's secondary education institution

Transport

Santa Clara is crossed by the '' Carretera Central'' highway (CC) and Autopista A1 motorway. The Santa Clara Beltway serving the city is directly linked to the motorway. The main railway station, Santa Clara railway station, is part of the principal line of the country, the Havana-Santa Clara-Camagüey-Santiago.

Abel Santamaría Airport Abel Santamaría Airport Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF. ( ) is an international airport serving Santa Clara, the capital city of the Villa Clara Province in Cuba. It was named after the Cuban revolutionary Abel Santamaría. ...

, located to the north, is the city airport, serving flights to Italy, Canada, France, and Poland, along with domestic and other flights. The Santa Clara beltway connects the city with other roads going to the other municipalities in the province, these include: * The Autopista Santa Clara (A1-1), to the

Autopista Nacional The Autopista A1, also known as ''Autopista Nacional'', is a Cuban motorway, partly built, that will link Havana to Guantánamo.Source: ''Mapa de Carreteras de Cuba'' (Road map of Cuba). Ediciones GEO, Havana 2011 - It is a Toll road, toll-fre ...

, and later the capital of Cuba,

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Carretera Central (N-1), to the town of Esperanza and

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

in the west, and

in the east * Road of Sagua (4-221), to Cifuentes, Sagua La Grande, and later by the

Circuito Norte The ''Circuito Norte'' (CN), meaning "Northern Circuit", is a west-east highway spanning the length of the island of Cuba, through the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic Coast. With a length of 1,222 km, it is the second-longest Cuban highway, afte ...

Quemado de Güines Quemado de Güines () is a municipality and town in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1667. Geography The municipality is divided into the poblados of Caguaguas, Carahatas, Güines, Paso Cavado, Poblado, San Valentín and Zambu ...

and Corralillo. *

Road of Malezas The Road of Malezas (Spanish: ''Carretera de Malezas''), also spelled Road of Maleza (Spanish: ''Carretera de Maleza''), is a north–south Cuban Roads in Cuba, state highway connecting the municipalities of Santa Clara, Cuba, Santa Clara to Encr ...

(4-311), to

and

Encrucijada Encrucijada () is a municipality and town in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1850 and established as a municipality in 1910. History The municipality was divided into the barrios of Centro, Paso Real, El Santo and Vega Redo ...

* Santa Clara–Caibarién Road (4-321), to

, Remedios,

, and later the tourist resort of

Cayo Santa María Cayo Santa María (Saint Mary Cay or "Key") is an island off Cuba's north central coast in the Jardines del Rey archipelago. The island is linked by road and bridge to the town of Caibarién on the main island. Cayo Santa María is well known for ...

* Santa Clara–Fomento Road (4-474), to the town of

Mataguá Mataguá is a Cuban village and ''consejo popular'' ("people's council", i.e. hamlet) of the municipality of Manicaragua, in Villa Clara Province. With a population of ca. 10,000, it is the most populated village in the municipality after Manicar ...

, and later

Fomento Fomento is a town and municipality in the Sancti Spíritus Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1864. Geography The municipality is divided into the barrios of Fomento (municipal seat) and the village of Jíquimas. Until 1976 the villages of Juan ...

Sancti Spíritus Province Sancti Spíritus () is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad. Geography The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus provin ...

Education

Santa Clara is home to the

(), which is composed of a number of faculties: * Electrical Engineering * Agricultural Sciences * Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Sciences * Humanities * Law * Psychology * Social Sciences * Construction * Managerial Sciences * Mechanical Engineering * Chemistry and Pharmacy * Distance Education The university offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees and boasts the graduation of 35,000 engineers, licensees, architects, medics, and veterinarians, of which 1,000 are foreigners from 47 countries. Additionally, it has educated more than 310 doctors and more than 1600 magisters. The university collaborates with institutions from Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Spain, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela. Santa Clara is also home to the Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara, founded in 1966.

Notable people

Marta Abreu Doña Marta de los Ángeles González Abreu y Arencibia (13 November 1845 – 2 January 1909) was a Cuban philanthropist and one of the most influential figures of her time in central Cuba. She is recognized for her extensive charitable works in ...

(1845−1909), benefactress * José Bernal, artist * Yuniesky Betancourt,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

shortstop *

Mike Cuellar Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana (; May 8, 1937 – April 2, 2010) was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher in 1959 and from 1964 through 1977, most prominently as a memb ...

, Major League Baseball pitcher *

Aledmys Díaz Aledmys Díaz Serrano (born August 1, 1990) is a Cuban professional baseball utility player for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays ...

, Major League Baseball shortstop * Newton Estape Vila, photographer and journalist * José Fernández (1992−2016), Major League Baseball pitcher * Mirka Francia, Cuban-Italian volleyball player * Rubén González, pianist * Benny 'Kid' Paret (1937−1962), boxer * Moraima Secada, singer *

Miguel Díaz-Canel Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (; born 20 April 1960) is a Cuban politician and engineer. He has served as the 8th First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2021 and as the 17th president o ...

, 17th president of Cuba * Gerardo Machado y Morales, general, 5th president of Cuba (1925–1933) *

Marilyn Pupo Marilyn Pupo (born November 23, 1950) is a Cuban-born Puerto Rican actress, singer and television show host. She is known for her stint as a television show host at Telemundo Puerto Rico's Noche de Gala alongside Eddie Miro, and for starring i ...

, Cuban-Puerto Rican actress and television host *

Dafnis Prieto Dafnis Prieto (born July 31, 1974) is a Cuban-American drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator. Career In his home town of Santa Clara, Cuba, Prieto studied percussion and guitar. During his teens, he moved to Havana to study at the Nati ...

Cuban-American drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator *

Eslinda Núñez Eslinda Núñez (born 27 December 1943 in Santa Clara, Cuba) is a Cuban film and television actress. Selected filmography * 1963: '' El Otro Cristóbal'' * 1968: ''Lucía'' * 1968: '' Memories of Underdevelopment'' * 1975: '' Mina, Wind of Freed ...

, actress * Francisco Javier Balmaseda, writer

International relations

Twin towns/Sister cities

Santa Clara is twinned with: *

Cali, Colombia Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,280,522 residents estimate by National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE in 2023. The city span ...

(1994) * Oviedo, Asturias, Spain (1995) * Bloomington, Indiana, United States (1999)Sister cities of Bloomington
* Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Russia (2004) * São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil (2005)

Image gallery

File:Hotel santa clara libre.jpg, The Santa Clara Libre hotel across Parque Vidal was the tallest building outside Havana during the 1950s and 1960s. File:Marta Abreu train station across Martyrs Park in Santa Clara, Cuba - 2010.JPG, The Marta Abreu train station is located across Martyrs' Park. At the center is the truncated pillar monument dedicated to the martyrs of the Colonial Independence War. File:5 Vidal-Santa-Clara.jpg, Parque Vidal in downtown Santa Clara File:7 Monumento-Santa-Clara.jpg,

Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...

's monument and museum File:Iglesia del Carmen.jpg, Carmen Church, which is the oldest church in the city. File:Teatro Caridad.jpg, Teatro La Caridad File:Iglesia La Divina Pastora Santa Clara, Cuba 1.jpg, Iglesia La Divina Pastora

References

External links

"Santa Clara"
Collection of photos from Santa Clara 2007 to 2015
"Santa Clara's Rebel Saint"
by Egle Procuta, ''Globe and Mail'', 11 November 2006
"Che's Last Stand"
by Ed Ewing, ''The Guardian'', 31 December 2008

by Joseph Kula, ''The Province'', 10 November 2008 {{Authority control Cities in Cuba Populated places in Villa Clara Province 1680s in Cuba Populated places established in 1689 1680s establishments in the Spanish West Indies 1680s establishments in the Caribbean 17th-century establishments in Cuba 1689 establishments in North America 1689 establishments in the Spanish Empire