A Quick Peek at the Cespedes Park

The downtown Céspedes Park takes a special place in the heart of the people of Santiago. This spot is teeming with music, legends, meetings, friendship and love. When the village was founded back on July 25, 1515, this park was conceived based on the traditions of the Spanish crown. At that time, there was only a wide wharf hemmed in by buildings, such as the city hall, the church and houses.

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Since the cathedral of the Villa was based in the very area, it later became the cathedral square and it was finally built in the 16th century in order to be used as a parade ground for the Spaniards.

The park was later named Queen Elizabeth Square, or Elizabeth the Catholic, to pay tribute to the Queen of Spain. The square soon gained momentum as it was surrounded by power-representing buildings: the cathedral, house of governors and the city hall.

Its planimetry forms an almost squared polygon with an approximate area of 2516.42 square meters. A monument was built in 1953, right in the middle of the place, to pay homage to the Father of Cuban Homeland, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes.

Its present look perfectly merges with the surrounding architecture, the work of the outstanding architect and urban planner Carlos Segrera Fernández.

There was an important moment in the history of this place during the dawn of the Republic, when the first major Emilio Bacardí established the Fiesta of the Flag, a politic-cultural act. Nowadays, on December 31, the people who live in this hospitable city gather at the Park and watch how our national flag flies, a prediction of a good year.

The words delivered by Fidel Castro on January 1, 1959, are also of great significance as he announced the triumph of the Revolution.

Carnivals, parades, politic acts, the daily life of our city takes place in this park characterized by the joy of this land.