Hello everyone in this great community of Pinmapple, the Tower of Manaca Iznaga and the Valley of the Mills, declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1988, are two outstanding historical sites located just 14 km from the city of Trinidad, Cuba, which offer a fascinating vision of the past sugar mill of the region and colonial life in the 19th century.
The Manaca Iznaga Tower is an imposing structure declared a National Monument that rises to 45 meters high (the highest at that time) and over time was tilted, so we call it the Pisa Tower of Cuba and it was built in 1816. This tower has seven levels with different geometric shapes that end in an octagon. Originally, this tower had a control and surveillance function, allowing the owners of the farm to supervise the slaves and work in the sugar cane fields. The tower has a clock that served to mark the start and end time of the workday. From the top of the tower, you have an impressive panoramic view of the fields and the surrounding region, unfortunately this time I could not climb to its top.
The Manaca Iznaga hacienda is the best preserved in the Valley of the Mills and is a symbol of the economic period that reached Trinidad thanks to the sugar industry. Its facade rebuilt in 1989 displays a portal with two stairwelled windows and a wooden door with a large arch that accesses the main floor. This hacienda consists of the house, the watchtower, the blacksmith’s ship, and the slave cemetery. After the death of its main owner: Manaca Iznaga, his wife inherits this farm and his 50 mills to his eldest son and he made sure that in the 20s and 40s of the 19th century this was one of the most important mills and with the best harvests and profits of the Cuban sugar industry. Currently this hacienda is a restaurant with Creole food and typical drinks of the area such as guarapo (Juice from the sugar cane).
This is a magical place full of history that attracts visitors from all over the world, they can explore the remains of the ancient sugar mills, walk through the sugar cane fields and learn about the history of slavery and sugar production in Cuba.
These two sites represent a vivid reminder of the importance of the sugar industry in the history of Cuba and offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the island’s colonial past. Undoubtedly a place that you can’t miss when you visit the island.
My Original Image @nicolelorena
