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| North side of Parque Vidal (looking West) in central Santa Clara, Cuba. Photo: Phyllis Shess |
Editor’s note: On a daily basis
from June 1 thru June 30, 2015 Pillar to Post online magazine is featuring
articles, photos and insights resulting from a recent group tour, an adventure
we dubbed: the April 23 Brigade’s Tour of Cuba 2015.
EL CENTRO DE CUBA
Named for Colonel Leoncio Vidal y
Caro, a late 19th century Cuban war hero, Parque Vidal, is a
kaleidoscope of activity in the middle of Santa Clara, Cuba.
Covering
a square block, this main plaza, is flanked by iconic colonial era buildings
like the neoclassical Palacio Provincial, La Caridad Theatre, the Museum of
Decorative Arts and the neighborhood’s Jolly green giant in the form of the
10-story Santa Clara Libre Hotel (formerly a Hilton). The Art Deco hotel still bears the bullet
hole scars from a famed 1959 battle of the Revolution fought in the plaza, a
skirmish led by Che Guevera.
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| Bullet holes remain atop Santa Clara Libre Hotel |
At the
square’s hub, is a concert gazebo (called Glorietta), where the philharmonic
has been offering early evening concerts on Thursdays and Sundays since the
early 20th century.
Today,
the square remains an unchanged meeting place for the locals of all ages. Children circle the park in carts pulled by
obedient goats, while families gather on shaded benches and vendors peddle
crafts.
In 2012,
two blocks to the Northwest of Parque Vidal, an older hotel was refurbished
into, the Hotel America, which now serves downtown Santa Clara with a needed
modern hotel and quality restaurant. |
| Glorietta Gazebo facing Northwest toward the 10-story Santa Clara Libre Hotel Photo: Michael Shess |
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| Old city hall, now Jose Marti Library is on the East side of Parque Vidal (looking northeast). |
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| Northeast corner of plaza. |
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| Photo: Phyllis Shess |
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| Photo: Phyllis Shess, 2015 |
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| Vendors Northside of Parque Vidal Photo: Phyllis Shess |
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| Photo: Phyllis Shess |
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| Southwest corner of Parque Vidal looking to the Southeast. Iconic La Caridad Theatre (left). |
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