Nueva Gerona parks 🇨🇺

Hello friends of Hive and Pinmapple.

In a previous post, we took a tour of the Las Casas River and its surroundings in Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud.

Today I want you to accompany me on another tour, this time through the 3 main parks in Nueva Gerona, and take a look at some of the main points of interest in their surroundings.

A bit of history:

I have to say that I did not find much information about the foundation of the city, because even though this territory was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 during his second voyage, it remained practically abandoned by the Spanish crown for centuries. Evangelista was the name given to it when it was discovered. Sir Francis Drake, the privateer, recognized the city in 1596, that is, a century after its foundation, during the time when he was plundering in the Antilles, just like many other adventurers of the time. In 1627, it was granted to Captain Hernando de Pedroso, and over time it passed into the hands of successors, who through exchanges and transactions obtained small land benefits, many of which they did not even know and none of them ever personally cared for. And so, without official attention or care for its population, we arrive at the year 1773, when Captain-General Felipe Fonsdeviela ordered that the Isla de Pinos contribute annually to the supply of Havana with some livestock. Previously, in 1765, the Count of Ricla proposed to colonize it, but when he left for Spain, his project was forgotten. Its owner and "governor," Domingo Duarte, was committed to making it happen and made great efforts, but no one was interested in his project.

The island continued with its few inhabitants. In 1787, Frigate Captain Julian Terry y Lacy presented to the Count of Santa Clara, Captain General of the island, a voluminous report on his studies and work, as he had been commissioned to organize the colonization. By this time, the island had 300 inhabitants, and despite the detailed account of the said captain, nothing was accomplished. Once again, good intentions were forgotten, until in 1822, an adventurer named Pepe el Mallorquín, accompanied by a group of bandits, became the "master" of the island. As a result of this incident, the British government notified the declining Spanish government to either garrison the island or abandon it, in which case Great Britain would occupy it. This led to the order from Madrid to Captain General Francisco Dionisio Vives for the definitive recognition of the island and its military strategic possibilities. The Captain General's commissioner went to a small town founded by Andres Acosta, about nine kilometers from the dock, and from there to Sierra de Caballos, where Clemente Delgado resided. He obtained from Mr. Delgado the cession of one league of land to the State for the foundation of a town. The land was distributed free of charge in plots with the obligation to build homes within a year. Plans were drawn up, and that is how Nueva Gerona was founded.

In 1830, a colonization act was signed, naming it the Colony of Queen Amalia, in honor of the third wife of Fernando VII. The town was named Nueva Gerona, in memory of the defense that Captain General Vives had made of that Catalan city in the Spanish War of Independence. The first personnel to go to the Island of Pines were a garrison company and a large number of prisoners, with a barracks being built for the former and a prison for the latter shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, the goodness of the waters and the healthy climate attracted the wealthiest families from Havana, leading to the creation of hotels and homes for vacationers and thus an increase in the civilian population.

In 1847, a church was built under the patronage of Our Lady of Sorrows, two elementary schools were established, and other buildings for public services were constructed.

The tour

Nueva Gerona Square (Guerrillero Heroico Park)

This space was known as Albert Square or Nueva Gerona Square since the foundation of the Queen Amalia Colony on December 17, 1830. It was the place where the military governor received prisoners and deportees who arrived from different parts of the country.

Around it (on the south side) were the Government House (later the City Hall and now the Municipal Museum) as well as the best houses in Nueva Gerona.

In the last decade of the 20th century, the gazebo was built.

The circular and radial sidewalks that extended from the center of the square to the circular limits were delimited. This can be seen in the following Google Maps screenshot.

Later, benches were placed on the sidewalks and plants were planted, forming a beautiful garden, which over time provided shade to ensure a pleasant stay, despite the hot climate of the region.

By 1926, the city had its simple and beautiful park, which was named after José Lacret Morlot, as a tribute to this Mambi general who had proposed to the Government of the Republic in Arms the invasion of the Isla de Pinos and Puerto Rico to achieve their independence.

Here, the municipal band formed by its residents and inmates of the Model Prison could be appreciated playing, as well as different cultural functions, and political and social events. Lacret Park was always the most enjoyable place for the people of Nueva Gerona and a must-visit for anyone passing through the city. In 1967, it was decided to transform the park into a square and it was named "Guerrillero Heroico".

In addition to the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, another very old building that now houses the José R. Varona Berrios school is located in front of the north side of the park.

To the east, we find the Caribbean cinema, which over time and the loss of importance that these types of cultural facilities have suffered, has become more of a theater hall, where local and actors and actresses from other provinces make their presentations. After the cinema, there are several very old houses.

On the west side of the park, there is a beautiful building that houses the Municipal School of Art, where artists from the region are trained in different cultural expressions, such as Performing Arts, Dance, Choral Singing, and Music in the specialties of bassoon, flute, guitar, double bass, percussion, trumpet, horn, piano, clarinet, and saxophone. Admission to this school is done through aptitude tests for candidates.

Pinero Memorial Plaza

Located on the western edge of the Las Casas River and between 26th and 28th streets, this park takes its name from the hull of the El Pinero ship that is exhibited there.

The "El Pinero" ship is located on the Las Casas River, the main waterway and port in Pinar del Rio. It is located on solid ground, on the banks of the Las Casas River, very close to its traditional dock, at 33rd Street (Captain Lawton) between 26th (Bruno Hernandez) and 28th (Commander Sardinas), in Nueva Gerona.

The "El Pinero" ship was built in 1901 at the shipyards in Philadelphia, United States. It was initially intended to be a warship with a steel hull, but several years later it suffered a fire and its owners decided to convert it into a passenger and cargo ship.

It arrived on the Isle of Pines on April 6, 1927, purchased by the Isle of Pines Steamship Company (IPSSCo.) or Compañía de Vapores de Isla de Pinos. It was the first vessel used in the territory with diesel engines.

This ship transported all the materials used in the construction of the Model Prison (National Monument), as well as men, resources, and materials.

For many years, it became the main means of communication between this small island and the island of Cuba. It mainly transported grapefruits, melons, sugar, marble, etc., and a maximum of four cars on its cargo deck.

On May 15, 1955, it began its most transcendental journey in history. Some of the young revolutionaries of the time, many of them assailants of the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba who were imprisoned in the Model Prison on the Isle of Pines, were the only passengers on board, including the local Jesús Montanè Oropesa. Fidel Castro occupied cabin No. 18 during that trip.

After their release from prison, they took this ship to go to Havana.

This is why, on October 10, 1978, by resolution of the Ministry of Culture, the Pinero ship was declared a National Monument. Its hull is located on the banks of the Las Casas River, today the Pinero Memorial Plaza, inaugurated on March 13, 2005.

Parrot's Park

Before it was built, it was a small square or lot similar to a circle made of cement. It was located on a corner of the city from those times; today it is located in the center of the buildings of the old hospital, the La Cubana Hotel, the La Cocinita cafeteria, and the Agriculture Directorate.

On the day of its inauguration, a bust of Camilo Cienfuegos was unveiled and the park was named after him. Over time, someone came up with the idea of placing a cage with parrots and the bust disappeared. The new residents started calling it "Parque de las Cotorras" (Parrot's Park).

This park has the highest number of seating benches per square meter in Cuba and is the most visited park due to the facilities surrounding it. Its name is not only known by the locals, but also throughout the country and by all tourists visiting the island.

Conclusions:

The parks in the city of Nueva Gerona appear to be very important to the local community, as they are popular places to gather, socialize, rest, and enjoy the outdoors.

The Parrot's Park (Parque de las Cotorras) seems to be very popular among residents and visitors, due to its central location and the facilities surrounding it. It is interesting to note how the community has adapted the original name of the park based on the additions it has had over time, such as the parrot cage, which demonstrates how public spaces can evolve and transform according to people's needs and preferences.

The Pinero Memorial Plaza exhibits a monument to a ship that was for many years the main means of communication with the island of Cuba. It entered history when it was used to transport Fidel Castro and the other assailants of the Moncada Barracks to Havana after their release from the Model Prison. Additionally, popular festivals are held in this place where the public comes to dance to the music groups of their preference.

On the other hand, Nueva Gerona Square was the nucleus around which the city was founded and developed, and it preserves some of the oldest buildings in the territory.

In general, the use that Nueva Gerona residents give to the city's parks reflects the importance that these spaces have as meeting and recreation places for the community.

There are other parks in the city that are also preferred by the population as recreation places, but in my opinion, those are the most important.

At the end of the tour, I waited until nightfall to take this last shot of the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows.

I didn't want to end this post without mentioning that between Nueva Gerona Square and Parrot's Park, there is a boulevard that connects them, but this will be the subject of the next tour of Nueva Gerona.

Did you like this story? I hope so. Please, leave me your comment or suggestion. Thank you very much for your time!

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Historical data related were obtained from public sources on the internet, such as Wikipedia or Ecured,
All aerial views were obtained from Google Mapsttps:\maps.google.com)