Santiago de Las Vegas
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Santiago de las Vegas, an inland city of Havana City province, Cuba, about 12 m. south of Havana.
Pop. (2002) 22000 people.
An agricultural experiment station is maintained here by the Cuban government as well as a meteorological investigation centre.
[edit] History
In 1683, in the lands of the realengos of Sócalo Hondo, Managua, Bejucal and Chorrera, the tobacco farmers settled down and because of their spiritual needs decided to subcome Compostela bishop, constructing a hermite under the invocation of Santiago, and in 1688 houses destined to the families of the first colony of tobacco farmers began to be build. The population grew quickly and in 1694 the first stone of a church was placed.
On 18 June, 1725 the settlement was recognized as the town of Santiago de Compostela de las Vegas by Royal Certificate and was granted an extensive jurisdictional demarcation to the town. Since then, its political and economic interest, continued increasing.
In 1824 the town was exempted, at the same time, to pay the rights that satisfied every fifteen years by its grace and was declared city, allowing their people to raise a statue dedicated to the Spanish King Ferdinand VII, placed at the Recreo Square. In 1831 the monarch corresponded granting the city with the title of Faithful and Very Illustrious City Council.
In 1836 a government land ownership was created, but in 1840 was awarded to Bejucal, to return again to Santiago de Compostela de las Vegas in 1845. For this reasons it was one of the municipal terms of Cuba that has undergone greater alterations in its territorial jurisdiction, but always remaining the essential city, his attributes and qualities.
The church, whose first stone was placed in 1694, was finished in 1800; one of its towers was destroyed by a hurricane in 1846. The cemetery was built in 1814 and closed in 1895 to use the new one built at that times. In 1911 the magnificent Consistorial House was constructed.
The population in 1861 was counted on more than 3300 people and near eleven thousands already in 1953.
The industry of transport also got to demonstrate great opportunities for this city. Geographically located between the increasing greater metropolitan zone of the island and the rural region to the south and southwest of the province of Havana, it served as distribution point of so numerous passengers between these two regions. That bus station was a tittle branch of the National Bus Station in Havana, well organized and although some damage was detected, we could noticed the splendor of a well implemented idea.
The great possibilities brought by the near Havana's International Airport Jose Martí, were superior to any other known before, and was important for the development of the tourist industry. Santiago de las Vegas has great natural, historical, cultural and religious points of interest, another possible source of wealth for the city and its surroundings, caused that hotels, restaurants, and other facilities were constructed, that created new jobs that helped to increase the standard of life of his inhabitants. Santiago de las Vegas has, in addition, two of the most important sanatoriums of Cuba, the Psychiatric Hospital of Mazorra and the Sanatorium of El Rincón for the leprosy patients, also made increase the necessity of lodging, restaurants and other comforts, not as luxury, but as part of their civic action and responsibility.
Santiago de las Vegas has lost its municipality in 1976, in the new Political-Administrative Division created by the government of Fidel Castro, and now is part of the new municipality of Boyeros. Due to a bad administration of resources, the U.S. embargo, and the strong centralized administration of the Cuban government that does not allow a better autonomic management, Santiago de las Vegas languishes from the beautiful town it used to be.
