When you go to the city of Santiago de Cuba, the first thing that any visitor finds is the plaza. An architectural complex that in a certain way reflects through representation the values for which the city and its people are recognized.
Just off the main road and reflecting perhaps only a fragment of its legend, is the imposing statue of Antonio Maseo, a sphinx of the great hero of the first two wars of independence of Cuba, also known as the bronze tyrant, the material from which the structure of the monument is made.
On the other side is the plaza itself, crowned with Royal Palms, a type of palm endemic to the island recognized for its majesty. This is where the most massive events of the entire city once took place, serving as an entrance from its four points to the fervor of what is known as the hero city.
Also in front of the square and as a representation of the culture that the city of Santiago de Cuba is also known for, is the Heredia Theater, whose name honors José María Heredia, who is considered the first poet of our nation, also born in these lands. The theater has been the stage for all kinds of transcendental cultural events for the city and the country, thus increasing the well-earned prestige of the city's cultural panorama.
This combination of elements is what greets visitors when they arrive in Santiago. It is often such a fleeting space that we tend to forget all the symbolic value it contains. And well, if you ever visit Santiago de Cuba, I hope you can stop and look more closely at what is perhaps the most representative place in the city.
![Hotel Plaza, History and Charm [EN/ES]](/assets/noimage.svg)