There are already many the facts that have marked the
history of this region, from before the foundation of the
city, in 1628 it was assaulted in these waters the famous
Fleet of the Silver by the Netherlander pirate Piet Heyn,
what constituted the most remarkable fact that is
remembered in the annals of the piracy and a millionaire
loss for the Spanish crown.
The city of “San Carlos y San Severino de Matanzas” was
founded on October 12, 1693 with the establishment of 30
canarian families in the shores of the bay, called
previously of “ Guanima” or “ Yucayo” by the aboriginal
residents. Its current name is due to a lamentable fact
for the conquerors: a slaughter of Spaniards inside the
very bay in the beginnings of the XVI century that it is
considered as the first act of Cuban aboriginal
rebelliousness against the foreign occupation. Starting
from then the place was known as that of the “ slaughter”
, “Matanza” in Spanish.
During the XVIII century the life of the city lapses in a
quick decadence that takes it almost to disappear in the
decade of the years 1750 at 1760 although it achieved some
light advances, it is null or very little the debt that
Matanzas has with the XVIII century.
The true economic and social development of the city
appears with the boom of the sugar industry in the
beginnings of the XIX century. After the devastating
Haitian Revolution that took out this country of the world
market of the sugar for a long time, Cuba became the first
producing of this item in the world and to the region of
matanzas corresponded, in 1827, 25% of this production,
being even a bigger proportion in 1857 when in the region
was produced 55,56% of the sugar of the nation.
The economic development brought the growth of the city
that had 500 inhabitants in 1754 ,3000 in 1790 and 13 415
in the 1813. It is therefore the XIX the golden century of
the city of Matanzas that became one of the economic and
cultural emporiums of more importance in America, and that
it ended up competing, without any place to doubts in many
aspects, with the very capital. Sung by countless poets,
visited by big personalities and mother herself of
illustrious characters, it is impossible to count the
history of Cuba without speaking of this city. Matanceros
were those that designed and made the Cuban flag, it was
in Matanzas where was created and danced the danzón for
the first time (national dance of Cuba).
It has been known from then on by numerous epithets:
“Gentile Yucayo”, “Cuban Venice”, “Naples of America”,
“Tiro of the seas of West”, “City of the bridges” and
finally with a name that embraces the cultural and
commercial wealth of the city: “ Athens of Cuba."
At the moment it is a relatively small city of something
more than 143 000 inhabitants and with one of the best
ports in the country in its bay. It is the administrative
capital of the province of Matanzas, and although it no
longer breathes the same prosperity that deserved it to
take the name of “ Athens” it continues being an exciting
and romantic city with a slow and gentle life.
