Names unknown: streets of Matanzas

It is normal, even periodic, that the streets of some cities of the Island take human form until being confused with the passers-by who continually run them. They adopt their personality, their sadness and smiles. They look like a friend, a relative … to ourselves, in our time.

The streets are part of our heritage because, under our feet, they have witnessed all ages, human suffering, the construction and destruction of buildings, the ravages of time, their memories silenced under the pavement. From there, with the simplicity of a patient sentinel, our streets have a history of their own, the very history of the men who turn them away.

When the layout of the streets that would conform the city of Matanzas began, the first ones were Ciénaga, towards the swamps that went to the Yumurí, today known like Milanés; River, which ran parallel to the north side of the San Juan River and the Middle River, in front of the Plaza de Armas La Vigia.

Already in 1794, the matancera city was going for 16 streets: ten from North to South and six from East to West; This was the time when they began to receive official names. Many of the main matanceros vials form a parallel landscape with the rivers of this city.

From Milanés to Medio

Among the oldest streets of the yumurine city is Milanés. First known as Ciénaga and later adopted the name of Gelabert, last that was put by the Spaniards in mention to Antonio Gelabert, who introduced the culture of the coffee in our country.

Finally came to be named Milanés, in honor and memory of the matinee poet José Jacinto Milanés, considered one of the most important writers and playwrights of Cuba in the 19th century, completing a trilogy along with two other celebrities, Gabriel de la Concepción Valdés and Francisco Manzano , All matanceros of the same time.

Another of the first was the Middle Street, which as its name indicates, was the center and still today is the most central of all. At the end of century 18 Ricla was denominated in memory to the Governor Ambrosio Funes de Villalpando, Count of Ricla.

Definitely lost the Spanish sovereignty on our Island and as evidence of the change this street happened to be called Independence, although for the passers-by today it continues being Middle Street.

The last of the oldest was Calle Rio, a name imposed by the founders of the city because it was the one that was next to San Juan. Years later he was called O’Reilly and later Tello Lamar, the name of a young man who gave life to the Homeland. After so long it remains for the Matanzas River.

Contreras and San Luis

Another important, also very old, is the street Bonifacio Byrne, named in honor to the illustrious poet Matancero, also National Poet. In 1920 he received a house donated by the town on Contreras Street, marked 125, today 30208. On the front wall of the building there is a plaque that says: This house was acquired on May 7, 1920 by cuestación For the National Poet Bonifacio Byrne.

But formerly the Spanish colonialists had been called Contreras, by Don Jerónimo Contreras, Count of Jibacoa, who yielded 268 plots with which the population could be widened westward to the boundary of the Yumurí corral, that is, to where the Street February 24, now known as Dos de Mayo. At the moment the street has passed with its oldest name, that could not be changed by the force of the habit rooted in the matancera population.

The road of San Luis, meanwhile, was another street of relevance. It began on January 15, 1861, budgeted at 19,000 pesos and paid for by the Development Board. This covered from the bridge Sánchez Figueras, for the majority Bridge of San Luis, until the Jaiba, section that is maintained at present.

Original text by Jessica Mesa Duarte on June 23erd, 2017

Gloria Machado León

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