Cuba - Lonely Planet [327]
It might not be particularly old, but Santiago’s most important church, the imposing, five-nave Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Map; Mass 6:30pm Mon & Wed-Fri, 5pm Sat, 9am & 6:30pm Sun) is stunning both inside and out. There has been a cathedral on this site since the city’s inception in the 1520s, though a series of pirate raids, earthquakes and dodgy architects put paid to at least three previous incarnations. The present cathedral, characterized by its two neoclassical towers and open-winged trumpeting archangel, was completed in 1922 and it is believed that the remains of first colonial governor, Diego Velázquez, are still buried underneath. Meticulously restored, the cathedral’s interior is a magnificent mélange of intricate ceiling frescoes, hand-carved choir stalls and an altar honoring the venerated Virgen de la Caridad. The adjacent Museo Arquidiocesano (Map; 62-21-43; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, 9am-noon Sun) is rather a disappointment by comparison, housing a dullish collection of furniture, liturgical objects and paintings including the Ecce Homo, believed to be Cuba’s oldest painting. Behind the cathedral and two blocks downhill from the park is the airy Balcón de Velázquez (Map; cnr Bartolomé Masó & Mariano Corona), the site of an old Spanish fort which offers ethereal views over the terra-cotta-tiled roofs of the Tivolí neighborhood toward the harbor.
You can dig deeper into Santiago’s ecclesiastical history in two more churches in the vicinity of Parque Céspedes. The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Map; Félix Peña No 505) is a hall church dating from the 1700s that is the final resting place of Christmas-carol composer Esteban Salas (1725–1803), choir master of Santiago de Cuba’s cathedral from 1764 until his death. The three-nave Iglesia de San Francisco (Map; Juan Bautista Sagarra No 121) is another understated 18th-century gem, situated two blocks to the north.
Calle Heredia & Around
The music never stops on Calle Heredia, Santiago’s most sensuous street, and also one of its oldest. The melodies start in the paint-peeled Casa del Estudiante (Map; 62-78-04; Heredia No 204), where danzón-strutting pensioners mix with svelte rap artists barely out of their teens. One door up is Cuba’s original Casa de la Trova (Map; 65-26-89; Heredia No 208), a beautiful balconied townhouse redolent of New Orleans’ French quarter that is dedicated to pioneering Cuban trovador, José ‘Pepe’ Sánchez (1856–1928). It first opened as a trova (traditional poetic singing/songwriting) house in March 1968.
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ASK A LOCAL
Santiago might have its jineteros, but don’t let that put you off. This is a great city of music, culture, religion and history. And most Santiagüeros are educated, welcoming people who are only too keen to share their unique heritage with outside visitors.
Pepe, Santiago de Cuba
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A block east, the Casa Natal de José María de Heredia (Map; Heredia No 260; with/without guide CUC$2/1; 9am-6pm Tue-Sat, 9am-9pm Sun) contains a small museum illustrating the life of one of Cuba’s greatest Romantic poets (1803–39) and the man after whom the street is named. Heredia’s most notable work, Ode to Niagara, is inscribed on the wall outside, and attempts to parallel the beauty of Canada’s Niagara Falls with his personal feelings of loss about his homeland. In common with many Cuban independence advocates, Heredia was forced into exile, dying in Mexico in 1839.
Next stop for art fiends is the Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (Uneac; Union of Cuban Writers & Artists; Map; Heredia No 266), where you can seek intellectual solace in talks, workshops, encounters and performances in a gorgeous colonial courtyard. The colorful