Sancti Spiritus is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spiritus which has a population of just less than 100,000 people and is located in central Cuba. The name Sancti Spiritus is Latin for “Holy Spirit”. Founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1514 Sancti Spiritus is one of the oldest Cuban European settlements.
The city as it is known today shot to prominence when Francisco Iznaga, an affluent Spanish Basque landowner from the western portion of Cuba and, one of the principal individuals present during the colonization of Cuba, was elected mayor of Bayamo in 1540. Iznaga was the originator of a powerful family tree that ultimately settled in the province of Sancti Spiritus and more specifically the town of Trinidad where Torre Iznaga remains as one of the town’s main historic buildings. Oddly enough, Iznaga’s descendants would later fight for the Independence of Cuba and the Annexation to the US from 1820 to 1900.
Sancti Spiritus is the quintessential colonial city and what better place to hold the Museo de Arte Colonial (Colonial Art Museum) which is one of Sancti Spiritus’s most splendid colonial homes and a major attraction.
Sancti Spiritus harbors another interesting landmark which is also one of Cuba’s oldest stone bridges spanning over the Yayabo river. Constructed in 1815using clay bricks it forms five arcs, the center being 9 meters (30 feet) tall. The entire bridge is only 85 meters (279 feet) long and was intended for pedestrians and carriages during colonial-era Cuba but, has thus far resisted heavier modern traffic which now uses the bridge.
Sancti Spiritus is also home to world famous Medical University located at the Main road in Olivos III. It accepts students from all over the world representing an impressive 34 nationalities during any given semester. The university is also the home of the Sancti Spiritus Gallos (Roosters) baseball team.
The city has a central park called Serafín Sánchez which is the major meeting place for residents of the city. Known for is lively baseball debates, dominio games and meeting spot for all ages, visiting the parquet as tourist can be extremely entertaining, especially if you enter a heated debate on baseball results or other interesting topics. Visiting Serafín Sánchez Park is fun and a great laugh for all ages.