CubaPLUS Magazine

Like something out of a romantic album or an illustration of an old children's story, it is the image of the colonial bridge built over the Yayabo River, very close to the Cuban city of Sancti Spíritus, capital of the province of the same name, located in the center of the country.

It was built between 1817 and 1831 and was specifically inaugurated on May 8 of the last year mentioned. It is not a monumental or impressive work due to its size, nor does the charming Yayabo River boast of having a great flow or extension. But, together, they capture a very bucolic and symbolic moment in the life of a quiet village in the so-called "interior" of Cuba, which was one of the first seven cities founded by the advanced Diego Velázquez during the colonizing process of the Island in the 16th century.

The architects Domingo Valverde and Blas Cabrera conceived it with an extension of 85 meters and a height of nine, enough to be very remarkable and forever in the estimation of the citizens of Sancti Spiritus, who also love very much the fluvial current that gives it its name. . This also gives rise to numerous traditions and stories of the town.

It has withstood the passage of time with honor, not always friendly, despite being a building based only on bricks, cement, lime and sand, although some comment that this mixture was enriched with cow's milk, a legend of unproven popular basis.

Despite its longevity, no other architectural element has taken away from the bridge over the Yayabo the primacy of being a kind of main symbol of the city, something that is like a beacon of identity. In addition, without discounting that it links Sancti Spíritus with the heritage city of Trinidad, another very well preserved and beautiful jewel of the national colonial stage.

Despite its apparent solidity and good state of general conservation, the authorities and specialists of the city take care of the health of this historical monument, which has been restored and updated on several occasions. An indissoluble harmony reigns between the almost sacred bridge , the river and the town of the Holy Spirit.