2023 was a year of well-deserved celebrations for Cuba’s heritage.From the restoration and management of sites, as well as the preservation of traditions, the period was profitable and the Offices of the Historian and the Conservator in the country played an important role.
The year began with the 27th Scientific Workshop on Afro-American Social and Cultural Anthropology, which paid tribute to the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Casa de Africa Museum and was dedicated to the defense and safeguarding of the immaterial and material heritage of that continent in the Caribbean Island.
San Cristobal Travel Agency, which has been promoting historic and heritage tourism for more than a quarter of a century, expanded its sales offices in the capital.
That entity, attached to the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana (OHCH), provides different services as a national receptive, including thematic excursions on history, culture, heritage rehabilitation and social work, architecture, religion, and the journey through the network of heritage cities that Cuba has.
2023 also marked the beginning of the school year at the “Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos” Workshop School, a center that encourages young generations to study trades and specialize in the conservation and restoration of sites of historical and cultural value in Havana.
The Historic Center hosted important events such as the premiere of the route “Havana of Jose Marti”, to honor the memory of the Apostle on the 170th anniversary of his birth.
This tour, designed by historian Joseph Trujillo and carried out by the San Cristobal Travel Agency, included visits to sites in the capital linked to the life and work of the most universal Cuban, such as his birthplace on Paula Street, the San Pablo College, the Church of the Angel and the Havana Jail.
The University Museum was also opened on the occasion of the 295th anniversary of the founding of the Royal and Pontifical University of San Geronimo de La Habana to communicate the cultural legacy of higher education in Cuba.
The building has valuable pieces that show the influence of Catholicism and the Dominican friars on education in the Caribbean.
In February, the 31st International Book Fair, dedicated to Colombia, came to the streets of the Historic Center, where the OHCH made a significant contribution with the presentation of titles by Ediciones Boloña.
In order to involve the public in the rehabilitation and safeguarding of heritage, the 1st Workshop on Conservation and Restoration of Heritage Assets was held in which theoretical and demonstrative activities addressed specialties such as ceramics, glass, paper, textiles, metals, watchmaking and luthiery, among others.
The 27th edition of the Technical Conference on Vernacular Architecture in March was dedicated to the cities of Pinar del Rio and Viñales, as well as to the promotion of vernacular heritage culture.
As proof that the capital’s Historic Center has a life of its own, the International Festival of Dances in Urban Landscapes “Habana Vieja Ciudad en Movimiento” (Old Havana City in Movement) returned.
The event took over the main squares and streets of the district with choreographies and parades, where the art of dance took on a special link with the architectural heritage of the city.
In April, the National Council of Cultural Heritage awarded the national prizes for Conservation and Restoration for the year 2023.
The Fidel Castro Ruz Center was the winner in the category of Restoration, since one of the most beautiful buildings in Havana’s Vedado district was restored to its former splendor.
This place – which also won the Provin
