1994 and Miami. These are the worst moments of the economic crisis that Cuba is going through after the collapse of the socialist camp.
While working on a book about Havana with the renowned historian Zoila Lapique, her mentor, and María Luisa Lobo, a compatriot living in Florida, a Cuban researcher is invited to give a talk on the architecture of the first villas founded by the Spanish in the island.
As soon as the information was released, the reaction of a part of the Cuban-Americans did not wait: boycott threats and false accusations of bombs at Florida International University, the venue for the meeting.
Upon arrival, a cordon of police officers guards the entrance to the theater of the educational institution, while a large group waved posters and banners with strong anti-Cuban slogans. Inside, other uniformed men keep order.
A simple shot of whiskey gives you enough peace of mind to get started.
His deep, confident and emotional voice analyzes the images that appear on the slides projected on the screen: courtyard houses, richly decorated churches, colorful stained glass and semicircular windows, centennial ceilings of precious wood, colonial squares, lobed arches and a hundred other details. that come to life in their description.
A little over an hour has passed and the last piece appears. She thanks the organizers and attendees for their attention as the lights go on.
A deathly and cumbersome silence dominates the room for long seconds, until she timidly raises a hand at the end of the room:
"I'm from Remedios and I lived near the cathedral where the golden altar that you showed is."
As she spoke, two tears ran down the face of the man dressed in an elegant guayabera.
"And I'm from Trinidad." The processions of Holy Week are beautiful ...
Said another, in impeccable suit.
Then, a cascade of voices, no longer in order or concert, proclaims various origins and identification with the treasures shown during the talk. Suddenly, without agreeing, a closed applause breaks out.
Many come to the podium to thank him and find out about their places of origin.
Cuba has triumphed over differences.
2019 and Havana. Twenty-five years later, in an emotional ceremony at the Museum of Decorative Arts of Cuba, that beautiful, elegant and wise woman receives the National Prize for Cultural Heritage for her lifetime work.
It is the recognition of a long career that she began when she decided to change her career when she met Dr. Francisco Prat Puig and defined that the history of the houses would be the goal of her life. She directed the investigations on the Historic Center of Trinidad (1971-1982) and the reconstruction-restoration actions of that city (1979-1982); She worked in the National Heritage Council with Marta Arjona (1982-1987), and as a Dra. in Art Sciences and Senior Researcher, she worked until her retirement in the Heritage team of the city of Matanzas.
She is the winner of the prestigious Getty and Guggenheim scholarships, she has taught courses and conferences at universities in Latin America, the United States and Spain; She is a member of several international organizations linked to cultural heritage and architecture, and is a full member of the Cuban Academy of History. With more than a dozen books that have become an obligatory reference for scholars of Cuban architectural heritage, he is currently preparing the first volume of a trilogy dedicated to the patio house, a masterpiece of 50 years of research, continuous work and absolute dedication.
All our respect, admiration and affection for you, Master Alicia García Santana. Congratulations on your birthday!