Archaeological landscape of the first coffee plantations in southeast Cuba

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Archaeological landscape of the first coffee plantations in southeast Cuba
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem
Cuba Cafetal Isabelica P1080153a.jpg
Cafetal Isabélica, main building
National territory: CubaCuba Cuba
Type: Culture
Criteria : iii, iv
Surface: 81,475 ha
Reference No .: 1008
UNESCO region : Latin America and the Caribbean
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 2000  (session 24)

In the southeast of the island of Cuba there are remains of historic coffee plantations that were founded in the 19th century by French settlers from the island of Hispaniola . These are the remains of buildings, reconstructed and z. Some of the preserved facilities and cultivation areas of the first coffee-growing plantations in Cuba in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo .

Unesco entry

The 171 known systems were included in seven summarizing areas (polygons) in the list of UNESCO World Heritage . The UNESCO entry recognizes the uniqueness of the plantations in their agricultural pioneering work in difficult terrain. They also bear witness to the economic, social and technological history in the Caribbean region.

The Unesco entry includes the following seven zones:

Polygon name Size in ha Coordinates Plantation names (excerpt) Number of plantations
La Gran Piedra 25,200 20 ° 0 ′ 21 ″  N , 75 ° 37 ′ 4 ″  W. La Isabélica 111
El Cobre 1,300 20 ° 4 ′ 0 ″  N , 75 ° 55 ′ 0 ″  W. 28
Dos Palmas - Contramaestre 19,500 19 ° 59 ′ 0 ″  N , 76 ° 4 ′ 0 ″  W.
Yateras 10,600 20 ° 16 ′ 0 ″  N , 75 ° 3 ′ 0 ″  W. EI Jagüey 21st
El Salvador 8,000 20 ° 19 ′ 0 ″  N , 75 ° 23 ′ 0 ″  W. 6th
Niceto Pérez 8,700 20 ° 0 ′ 47 "  N , 75 ° 29 ′ 17"  W. San Prudencia 1
Guantánamo 8,100 20 ° 17 ′ 0 ″  N , 75 ° 13 ′ 0 ″  W. 4th

history

Cafetal Isabélica, Molino
Cafetal Isabélica, drying area (secadero)

The tradition of coffee growing originally comes from Santo Domingo / Saint Domingue on the island of Hispaniola , where it has been cultivated by French settlers since the 18th century. At the time of the slave revolts from 1790 and the subsequent founding of the state of Haiti, some of these settlers fled with their slaves to nearby Cuba and established the coffee-growing tradition there. From the Caribbean islands, coffee cultivation spread to other countries in South and Central America.

Location and structure

According to the UNESCO rating, the plantations are also characterized by the appropriation and design of the surrounding natural space. The existing rivers and springs, the terrain and the existing vegetation are included in the use and structure of the plantations.

La Isabélica

The Cafetal La Isabélica not far from the Gran Piedra is relatively easy to reach from Santiago . There you can visit the manor house with a drying terrace (Secaderos), the kitchen and workshop building and the remains of the slave accommodation. The upper floor of the main house, which was built between 1820 and 1830, is a wooden structure on the basement made of natural stone. The upper floor was destroyed over time and is covered with z. T. traditional craft techniques have been reconstructed; but its exact structure has not been historically proven. The rooms are furnished with furniture from the plantation era. The basement has survived largely undamaged. The facility has served as a museum since 1961.

According to tradition, the plantation was named after the founder's wife of Caribbean origin. Like all coffee plantations, the plantation is located in a special microclimate. Due to the altitude of approx. 1130 m and the prevailing wind directions, the temperature spectrum is moderate and the moisture for the coffee plants is ensured by condensate from the clouds.

Web links

Commons : Coffee in Cuba  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).

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