Cuba Preserves Tobacco Cultural Heritage

Source from:  Prensa Latina (cu) 01/27/2010

Relics of local architecture of homes in Vinales Valley now maintain their original appearance through an emergent program to preserve the charms of that Cuban landscape, Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Sponsored by the local government and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the project proposes to rescue bohios in the locality (homes with palm leaf roofs) destroyed by hurricanes during their pass across this western province. One of the premises is the preservation of pattern that identifies this type of construction; now with the novelty of masonry homes in the valley confirmed the director of the Office of Monuments, Nidia Cabrera. a It is a new space, he added, where families will be able to store their property in face of a threat of a hurricane and that offers more security for the campesinos of the region, designed similar to Proyecto Mambi, used in rural communities of Pinar del Rio." Another priority to conserve the values of the locality (about 160 kilometers from Havana) is the increase of areas dedicated to tobacco crops, typical of the region and creation of small storage facilities to keep water for irrigation. Cabrera commented that with the help of experts and local inhabitants restoring housing in the central road of Vinales that is an example of colonial architecture. During the initial phase, after being hit by hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2006 several materials were used to roof the houses. Now we will begin to be substituted by colonial tiles (made of clay) that characterize the locality, explained the expert. Restoration of the Culture House, she explained is among the restoration work for which UNESCO has set aside 75,000 dollars and the country large resources. Vinales Valley with its Jurassic mogots and population were declared Cultural Landscape Heritage of Humanity in December of 1999 as an almost poetic example between man and his exorbitant natural landscape. Enditem