A Walk through the Past. Plaza de los Trabajadores and La Merced in Camagüey

That there is a community of Pinmapple, today we continue walking through the province of Camaguey, finding myself in the Plaza de los Trabajadores, a very visited meeting point in this city. Day and night, the square comes to life with its historic architecture, highlighting a centuries-old ceiba in the center and the imposing presence of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, next to well-preserved old buildings.

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This corner of Camagüey, which has been a witness to history for more than half a millennium, transforms its image as part of the current celebrations. Since the 18th century, the square has evolved, initially dedicated to vegetable and livestock lands. During the Republic, it became a wooded park with the first ceiba that would identify this square.

This square is formerly known as Plaza de la Merced, it adopted its current name in the 1960s due to events of the Camagüeyan workers’ movement of the first years of the Revolution. Its current shape was designed in the 18th century, highlighting the front of the convent and church of the Order of Mercy.

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This square is also much more than a triangular space; it is a central point for commercial, cultural and historical activities since the 1960s. In addition to the imposing Church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, it is worth exploring the Casa Natal Museum of Ignacio Agramonte and the Convention Center and House of Culture.

The beauty of this square is undeniable, not only for its architecture, but also for the originality of having this ceiba (a typical Cuban tree) in its center, surrounded by an iron fence that adds character to it.

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This tells stories from many centuries to more recent events. Its historical importance is manifested in every corner, being a scene of significant events, a place that breathes history in every cobblestone.

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Within this square one of its greatest significant is the Church of La Merced, a place impregnated with legends and traditions that give life to its origin and reconstruction.

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Inside this church rests an unparalleled treasure: the Holy Sepulchre, a laminated silver jewel made in 1762 by the Mexican architect Don Juan Benítez Alfonso. This unique piece in Cuba is not only a religious symbol, but is also the result of a moving story of love, death and faith.

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Today, the crypts of the church house a small religious museum, a tangible testimony of the stories that have shaped this sacred place over the years. Each corner has a unique narrative, merging the divine, the mysterious and the human in a single space.

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According to local stories, the origin of this church is framed in the divine. One of the stories tells that, in the vicinity of a superstitiously feared lagoon and a forest, a whited hermitage appeared in a few days, a work of divine action, guarded by religious. The second legend recounts the mysterious disappearance of the builder of the current temple, punished according to some versions for using plans destined for another sanctuary, selling his soul to the Devil, or being the victim of robbers who know the good payment of the mercenaries.

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I hope you liked this place, it left me very excited and with the satisfaction of having been here, do not forget to visit them if you walk in these directions, a greeting to all.

All photos are in my possession.

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A Walk through the Past: Plaza de los Trabajadores and La Merced in Camagüey
Pinmapple
_{By EmperorX.}