Sagua la Grande: Considerations for the Comprehensive Management of its Architectonic and Urban Heritage

Abstract

The origins and founding of Sagua la Grande are connected to the Río Sagua, next to which the city was settled in 1812. The sugar industry, its primary source of income and development, utilized the river to transport its merchandise. The city possesses colonial and republican architecture of a variety of styles, associated with the values of its cultural heritage. There are studies and plans for the restoration of its historic downtown, which has enormous strength and potential, but there is no budget to carry them out. This article assesses some mechanisms for the comprehensive management of its heritage that would allow for the implementation of programs that confront the extraordinary challenge of this necessary restoration of a memory that belongs to the entire Cuban nation.