Trinidad of Cuba to celebrate five years as a Creative City

Only a few days separate the south-central city of Trinidad de Cuba from celebrating the fifth anniversary of the awarding of the title of Creative City of the world, in the category of Crafts and Popular Arts.

Such a distinction granted by UNESCO, which it shares with Havana and Santiago de Cuba – in both cases in the Music category – recognized the traditional work of artisans and artists of the third of the first seven towns founded in Cuba by the Spanish.

The old town received the status on October 31, 2019, World Cities Day, and thus joined other towns in the world that make up the Creative Cities Network.

A year earlier, it had received the title of Artisanal City of the World, awarded by the World Crafts Council.

Founded in 1514 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, its historic urban center was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1988, along with the Valle de los Ingenios.

Known as the City of Encounters and Museum City of the Caribbean, Trinidad dazzles with its handicrafts, an art reflected in works of excellent quality in tablecloths, rugs or dresses, together with creative performance in pottery and work with natural fibers.

As a prelude to the commemoration of both distinctions, from July to October a day of celebrations was held promoted by the Office of the Conservator of the City of Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios in which a handicraft activity was promoted.

July focused on wood and metal work, literature, music and dance, August focused on fiber and seed work, and plastic arts, while September was dedicated to needle and thread work and religious traditions.

Meanwhile, October exalted clay, where the Santander family has earned a place, and few national or foreign visitors return to their places of origin without taking with them a detail that reminds them of the magic of clay.

This month, the entertainment extended to ceramics and gastronomy, and in this last aspect Trinidad also has much to show with recipes from the typical cuisine of the city transferred from one generation to another.

Both categories recognize the cultural heritage and the deep-rooted traditions of a city that exhibits unique corners, squares and mansions, together with striking natural landscapes, and knows the importance of preserving its material and immaterial heritage.