Sancti Spíritus, Cuba

**Sancti Spíritus** is a municipality an caipital ceety o the province o Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba.  Sancti Spíritus, Laitin for "Holy Spirit," is ane o the best preservit ceeties in the Caribbean frae the time o the succar tred.

## History
The ceety wis foondit bi Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1514. Francisco Iznaga, a rich Basque laundawner in the wastren portion o Cuba durin the first thirty years o the colonisation o Cuba, wis electit mayor o Bayamo in 1540. Iznaga wis the oreeginator o a pouerful lineage that feenally settled in Sancti Spiritus an Trinidad whaur Torre Iznaga is. Iznaga's descendants focht for the Unthirldom o Cuba an the Annexation tae the US frae 1820 tae 1900.

The Parroquial Mayor is locatit twa blocks sooth o the toun's main square; it is a venerable green-touered kirk whose early 16t-century oreegins mak it the kintra's auldest. Nearbi is the Museo de Arte Colonial *(Colonial Airt Museum)*, ane o Sancti Spíritus's maist splendid colonial hames an a staundoot attraction. The opulent umwhile palatial mansion o the Valle Iznaga clan, ane o Cuba's maist elite faimilies who fled Cuba efter Fidel's Revolution, it became the property o the state in 1961. Ninety percent o wha you see inside, frae furnitur tae paintins, is oreeginal. Tho the faimily obviously kept an impressive collection o Limoges porcelain, French gildit mirrors, Italian marble tables, an Baccarat crystal chandeliers here, it wisna thair primary residence; the hoose wis uised maistly tae host faimily memmers in transit, sae the furnishins wur rather eclectic. The three bedrooms are decoratit in grand style, tho, wi handmade lace, embroidered sheets, an haund-paintit gless. Thare is a gorgeous an vera Cuban leather *sillón fumador* (smokin chair) an, in the muisic room, the mid-18t-century American piano, ane o anerlie twa o its teep in Cuba. In the tearoom is the faimily seal, which says a lot aboot the arrogance o the rich an pouerful: *"El que más vale no vale tanto como Valle vale"* ("He who haes the greatest wirth isna wirth as much as a Valle is wirth"—playin aff the Spainyie wird for "wirth" wi the faimily surname).

Anither interestin laundmerk is ane o Cuba's aulder brigs ower the Yayabo river. Built in 1815 wi clay bricks it forms five aircs, the centre bein 9 metres heich. The entire brig is anerlie 85 meters lang an wis designed for pedestrians an carriages durin colonial-era Cuba but haes sicweys far resistit hivier modren traffeck.

Sancti Spíritus haes a warldwide famous Medical Varsity locatit at the Main road in Olivos III. It haes students frae aw ower the warld representin 34 naitionalities. It is the hame o the Sancti Spíritus Gallos basebaw team an aw.

## Gallery

File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Street Shop anagoria.JPG|Street shop
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Street Shop 02 anagoria.JPG|Street shop
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Street Scene 01 anagoria.JPG|Street scene
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Street Scene 02 anagoria.JPG|Street scene
File:2012-02-Museo de Arte Colonial Sancti Spiritus Cuba anagoria.JPG|Museo de Arte Colonial
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Kuba Pferdefuhrwerk anagoria.JPG|Horse wi cairt
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Street Scene 03 anagoria.JPG|Street scene
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Haustuer anagoria.JPG|Doorwey
File:2012-02-Sancti Spiritus Street Shop 03 anagoria.JPG|Street shop (frae sleepin ruim)
File:2012-02-Oldtimer Sancti Spiritus Kuba anagoria.JPG|Oldtimer
File:2012-02-pedestrian zone Sancti Spiritus anagoria.JPG|Pedestrian zone
File:2012-02-Agrarmarkt Sancti Spiritus Kuba anagoria 01.JPG|Agricultural Mercat
File:Symbols of the Fatherland (Cuba) in Sancti Spiritus.jpg|"Seembols o the Faitherland"
File:2012-02-Agrarmarkt Sancti Spiritus Kuba anagoria 02.JPG|Agricultural Mercat
File:2012-02-Agrarmarkt Sancti Spiritus Kuba anagoria 03.JPG|Agricultural Mercat
File:2012-02-Kathedrale Sancti Spiritus 01 anagoria.JPG|The Parroquial Mayor, Cuba's auldest kirk, in Sancti Spiritus center
File:2012-02-Kathedrale Sancti Spiritus 02 anagoria.JPG|Parroquial Mayor
File:2012-02-Kathedrale Sancti Spiritus 03 anagoria.JPG|Side Altar, Parroquial Mayor
File:2012-02-Kathedrale Sancti Spiritus 04 anagoria.JPG|"The Last Supper", Parroquial Mayor


## Geografie
The municipality is dividit intae the barrios o Banao, Bellamota, Bijabo, Guasimal, Guayos, Hospital, Jíbaro, Manacas, Mapos, Paredes, Paula, Pelayo, Pueblo Nuevo, San Andrés, Tuinicú, Tunas de Zaza an Zaza del Medio.

The Zaza Reservoir is locatit soothwast o the ceety.

The ceety haes a central pairk which is a place o great entertainment for the bodies o aw ages.

## Demographics
In 2004, the municipality o Sancti Spíritus haed a population o 133,843. Wi a tot aurie o , this means a population densitie o .

## See an aw

*Municipalities o Cuba
*Leet o ceeties in Cuba

## References

## Freemit airtins
*Information for tourists 
* Historic Ceety wabpage