Carlos J. Finlay

Carlos Juan Finlay was born in the city of Puerto Principe (now Camaguey), in the Island of Cuba, on the 3rd of December, 1833. His father was Edward, a Scotch physician, and his mother, Isabel de Barres a native of France.While he was still in his infancy the family moved to Havana where the boy grew to his eleventh year, residing at times in the Capital, and at times in Guanimar.We can well imagine that the life of young Finlay in the open awakened his love for the study of Nature.

In 1844 Carlos was sent to France and studied in a school at the Havre until 1846 when he had to return to Cuba on account of an attack of cholera.

He returned to Europe in 1848 to complete his education in France, but the revolutionary movements of that year obliged him to remain for a short time in London, and during one year in a school at Mentz on the Rhine. He entered college at last in Rouen where he continued his studies until 1851 when he returned to Cuba to convalesce from an attack of typhoid fever.
The
Spanish law at the time would not validate for the degree of Bachelor in Arts, the college courses followed in France, and he came to Philadelphia where the said degree was not necessary for the study of Medicine. He graduated in Medicine on the 10th of March 1855 from the Jefferson Medical College,Dr. Finlay incorporated his diploma in the University of Havana in 1857, and began the practice of his profession. On the 16th of October 1865, he married, in the city of Havana, Miss Adela Shine, a native of the Island of Trinidad. In 1881 he went to Washington representing the colonial Government of Cuba at the International Sanitary Conference.

in 1898 He wrote at the time a complete plan of campaign against the yellow fever on the same lines, which were subsequently followed with the brilliant results now familiar to all of us.The great work of Finlay may be expressed in very few words: He discovered the fact that yellow fever is transmitted by the bite of one species of mosquito, and he invented a sure method for the extinction of the disease.

Great as our satisfaction must be, how much greater must be that of the man, illustrious as he is modest, who has made all this possible through a mental effort equaled by very few in the history of the human mind".

Museums in Camagüey

Birth Home of Ignacio Agramonte Birth Home of Ignacio Agramonte Camagüey Cuba

One of the most illustrious sons of the Camagüey province has left to history his endless fight for the liberation of Cuba from Spanish rule. That is proven by the documents, testimonies, and numerous belongings of the family that resided in the very well-preserved house since 1828 or before. The house, located in the center of the city, became a museum in 1973.
Address: Avenida Ignacio Agramonte # 59, Camagüey

Birth home of Nicolás Guillén Birth home of Nicolás Guillén Camagüey Cuba
The Casa Natal de Nicolás Guillén preserves the birthplace of Nicolás Guillén, another revered son of Camagüey. Guillén was a well-respected and celebrated poet, not only in his native land, but throughout all of Latin America as well. Personal items and numerous copies of his poems are on display at this museum. Located at Calle Hermanos Aguero 58 (2 blocks wouth of the Plaza de los Trabajadores, the museum is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price of admission is FREE.

The Museo Provincial General Ignacio Agramonte

The Museo Provincial General Ignacio Agramonte is a multi-purpose museum that houses collections ranging from archeological items to the fine arts. The museum's holdings also include a natural history collection that feature the flora and fauna of Cuba. The majority of items in this museum, however, center on the fine arts, focusing on local and regional pieces ranging from the early 19th century to modern works. The msueum, located at Avenida de los Martires 2, is open Monday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Price of admission is $2 for adults, and children under the age of 12 are free.

Historic Center of Camagüey

One of the first seven villages founded by the Spaniards in Cuba, Camagüey played a prominent role as the urban centre of an inland territory dedicated to cattle breeding and the sugar industry. Settled in its current location in 1528, the town developed on the basis of an irregular urban pattern that contains a system of large and minor squares, serpentine streets, alleys and irregular urban blocks, highly exceptional for Latin American colonial towns located in plain territories. The 54 ha Historic Centre of Camagüey constitutes an exceptional example of a traditional urban settlement relatively isolated from main trade routes. The Spanish colonizers followed medieval European influences in terms of urban layout and traditional construction techniques brought to the Americas by their masons and construction masters. The property reflects the influence of numerous styles through the ages: neoclassical, eclectic, Art Deco, Neo-colonial as well as some Art Nouveau and rationalism.
Outstanding Universal Value

One of the first seven villages founded by the Spaniards in Cuba, Camagüey played a prominent role as the urban centre of an inland territory dedicated to cattle breeding and the sugar industry. Once settled in its current location in 1528, the town developed on the basis on an irregular urban pattern that contains a system of squares, minor squares, serpentine streets, alleys and irregular urban blocks, highly exceptional for Latin American colonial towns located in plain territories. Religious buildings, associated with the main squares, constitute a system of landmarks in the urban fabric, characterized by its homogeneity. Architectural values are associated with typical domestic architectural typologies and the use of consistent construction materials and techniques, especially the extended use of earthen components, which reveal influences from Andalusia. The use of truncated pilasters at the entrance gates and of clay vessels for water storage are features that identify Camagüey’s domestic architecture. The historic centre continues to act as the city core and the place for social and cultural activities, which reflect a rich intangible heritage.

Criterion (iv): The Historic Centre of Camagüey constitutes an outstanding urban architectural type in Latin America, featured by its irregular urban layout that produced an unusual system of squares, minor squares, serpentine streets, alleys, urban blocks and plots system. Monumental and domestic architecture form a homogeneous urban fabric where it is possible to find architectural expressions corresponding to different periods of the evolution of the town.

Criterion (v): The Historic Centre of Camagüey constitutes an exceptional example of a traditional urban settlement relatively isolated from main trade routes, where the Spanish colonizers were subject to European medieval urban influences in the urban layout and to traditional construction techniques brought to the Americas by the first masons and construction masters.

The nominated property is of adequate size and contains all the necessary material components to guarantee the integrity of the historic centre. The persistence of the original urban layout, of the architectural types and materials, of the traditional craftsmanship and of uses and spirit allows the historic centre to meet the required conditions of authenticity.

The legal protection and the management system and instruments have proved to be adequate for ensuring the proper conservation of the nominated area and its buffer zone.

Camagüey, Cuba: UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site

Part of Camagüey will be officially declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity on February 2, celebrating the 495th anniversary of the traditional date of the foundation of the city.

The ceremony will take place with an artistic show at Agramonte Park, antique Plaza de Armas, where it began the last settlement of Villa de Santa Maria del Puerto del Principe, currently called Camagüey.

The Project, dedicated to one of the first settlements constituted by the Spaniards in the New World, has artistic, literary, historical, political, recreational and sport character.

The program includes activities such as the symposium "Challenges in the handling and management of cities", and the presentation of the Network of Offices of the Historian of the City, which groups entities from five provinces.

UNESCO designed this part of Camagüey a Cultural Heritage of Humanity Site last July. Present at the awarding ceremony will be Herman Van Hoof, representative of UNESCO for Latin America and the Caribbean and other personalities.