Remedios

The 8th Colonial Villa was called San Juan de los Remedios founded by the Spanish in 1515 and is currently known as Remedios. It is located just 9 kilometers from the port of Caibarien and approximately 45 kilometers from the city of Santa Clara towards the center of the island.

At the beginning, the city was located on the coast but in 1544 was moved inward to avoid the continuous attacks of pirates. Remedios is one of most beautiful colonial cities in Cuba, declared National Monument. It has excellent buildings like city hall (burned down in the 1958 Revolution), churches, post offices and telegraphs, La Tertulia, Hospital, good rides, parks and monuments.

Opulence and architectural beauty can be found in its historic centre. It is the only city in the country whose main plaza has two churches: Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje and the San Juan Bautista Mayor Parish which has an enormous alter covered with gold and a sculpture that is presumed as the only one in the world, which represents a pregnant Immaculate Conception. Located in the Marti Plaza where the palms and marble and iron benches have witnessed the city´s main events.

The city was the birthplace of Alejandro Garcia Caturla one of the most important musicians in the country who began to write music at the age of 14 and was influenced by African rhythms. The Alejandro Garcia Caturla Museum is located north of Marti Plaza and conserves an impressive collection of the author´s manuscripts.

What has given this city its fame are its traditional and nice festivals. The festivals date to the first quarter of the 19th century and since 1871 divides the population in two sides: San Salvador and Carmen neighbourhoods, represented by a fighting rooster and a sparrow and face each other with talent and imagination, from the night of December 24th until the next morning. Each one has a giant artistic float full of lights, music, dances, disguises and lots of noise that is heard throughout the neighbourhoods and visitors. These celebrations were invented by the parish of the time, aimed at attracting the church followers to the midnight mass. In the Las Parrandas Museum you can find the characteristic disguises, flags and history of this incredible popular festival exclusive only to this region.