Sancti Spiritus Readies for 499th Foundation Anniversary

The celebrations will take place from June 1^st to 4^th, the latter date chosen to celebrate the birth of the village whose historic center has been declared a National Monument.

While a group of archaeologists led by the Provincial Center of Cultural Heritage, the Sama group, which belongs to the Speleological Society of Cuba, and the Archaeology Department of  Havana City Historian’s Office, among others, are quite busy pinpointing the site of the founding of Sancti Spiritus village, municipal authorities ready to hold the festivities for its 499^th anniversary.

The celebrations will take place from June 1^st to 4^th, the latter date chosen to celebrate the birth of the village whose historic center has been declared a National Monument, and, as it is tradition, the sessions of the Solemn Assembly of the People’s Power.

During the festivities the winners of the 2013 City Prizes will be announced, among which stands out the “Miguel Companioni Award” in composition. This time the selected song will identify the five centuries of existence of Sancti Spiritus village..

The “Fayad Jamis” Prize in narrative and children poetry, and the “Rene de la Cruz” in theater, in the categories of drama and staging are also important.

The celebrations include also the main gala for the founding day, conferences, book presentations, a retrospective of Sancti Spiritus Arts, the crafts fair and the general exposition in the Provincial History Museum of the archaeological materials recovered in Pueblo Viejo as part of the excavations to find the birthplace of the village.

Prior to the anniversary events, the Colloquium of the Holy Spirit Village will be held from 29 to 31 May, a rendezvous which aims to create a space for reflection and debate in defense of the artistic and cultural peculiarities of the province.

The organizers of the celebrations have particularly emphasized that the proposals reflect the most autochthonal traditions and heritage values, without losing sight of the historical and cultural elements, and the ethical values ​​that characterize Sancti Spiritus identity.

In addition to the founding of the village, the event will be dedicated, among others, to the 15th anniversary of the death of Orlando Barreras Figueroa, Historian of Sancti Spiritus, the 150 birthday of the writer and historian Manuel Martinez Moles and to the 45th of the creation of the Ernesto Lecuona School of Music.