Camagüey es una de las siete primeras poblaciones fundadas por los españoles en Cuba. Esta ciudad desempeñó un papel de primer plano en su calidad de centro urbano de un territorio dedicado esencialmente a la ganadería y la industria azucarera. Fundada en 1528 en su emplazamiento actual, la ciudad se fue desarrollando a partir de un esquema urbanístico irregular constituido por una red de plazas, plazuelas, calles serpenteantes y manzanas irregulares de casas, que es muy poco común en las ciudades coloniales de América Latina situadas en terreno llano. El centro histórico de Camagüey abarca 54 hectáreas y es un ejemplo excepcional de asentamiento urbano tradicional relativamente apartado de las principales rutas comerciales. La influencia de la arquitectura y el urbanismo de la Europa medieval es patente en el trazado urbano y las técnicas de construcción traídas a América por los albañiles y maestros de obras de los colonizadores españoles. En los edificios del sitio ha quedado plasmado, a lo largo del tiempo, el sello de numerosos estilos artísticos: neoclásico, ecléctico, neocolonial y “Art Déco”, principalmente. También hay algunas construcciones inspiradas en el “Art Nouveau” y el racionalismo.

Valor universal excepcional en inglés

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.