Santa Clara (Cuba)

Santa Clara
	Santa Clara
	Santa Clara
	Location in Cuba
Coordinates :	22 ° 24 ′ N , 79 ° 58 ′ W Coordinates: 22 ° 24 ′ N , 79 ° 58 ′ W
State :	Cuba
Province :	Villa Clara
Foundation :	July 15, 1689
Area :	514 km²
Height :	125 m above sea level NHN
Residents :	240,543 inhabitants (2012)
Population density :	359.7 inhabitants / km²
Prefix:	+ 53-422

Santa Clara is a city in central Cuba with 240,543 inhabitants (2012) at the western foot of the Escambray Mountains, capital of the Villa Clara province . It is a traffic hub, economic and agricultural center.

history

During the Cuban revolution against the Batista regime, the strategically important city was attacked on December 29, 1958 by troops of the rebel army of the July 26th Movement and the Directorio Revolucionario under the command of Che Guevara , after an armored train of the government army on the outskirts of the city could stop and capture with weapons and supplies. The capture of Santa Clara after the subsequent two-day exchange of blows is considered Che Guevara's greatest military achievement. After a two-year guerrilla war against the numerically far superior government army in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra , which was initially supported by the USA , the breakthrough in the plain was made and the way to the capital Havana was free. On January 1, 1959, the dictator Batista fled Cuba.

After Che Guevara's long-lost bones were found in Bolivia , his remains were transferred to Cuba in 1997 and buried in a specially created mausoleum at the site of his greatest triumph .

Worth seeing

The museum, monument and tomb of Ernesto "Che" Guevara with the sculpture Che con niño , the Tren Blindado monument, the preserved cityscape with a central square, theater, church and hotels from the 19th century as well as revolutionary monuments are worth seeing .