| The Village of San Salvador de Bayamo was the | | | | Diócesis and the square and its surroundings are |
| second founded by Diego Velázquez, on November | | | | called Plaza del Himno, since it was there where, for |
| 5th, 1513. According to what the Spanish reporters tell, | | | | the first time, the Cuban National Anthem was sung. It |
| the whole region was prosperous thanks to the land's | | | | was written by the bayamés (a person from |
| kindness and to the effective trade with the island of | | | | Bayamo) Perucho Figuredo. Other places of interest |
| Jamaica and the harbors of the current Mexico. | | | | are the Plaza de la Revolución and the museums |
| However, by 1616, after an unusual overflowing of the | | | | devoted to Cuban historic figures proclaiming the |
| Cauto River, the city started to lose its splendor. | | | | Nation's Freedom in 1868. |
| Nevertheless, it's been said the architectural charms of | | | | Four years ago a new attraction was inaugurated in |
| Bayamo were immensely better than those in other | | | | the city: the Museo de Cera de Bayamo (Museum of |
| Cuban regions at the time. | | | | Wax of Bayamo), the only of its type in the country. It |
| In 1868, right after the Cuban Independence War | | | | was first a gallery in small premises on the Walk of |
| started, the mambises (rebels in the Cuban uprising of | | | | General García. It is now a real institution with |
| 1868) chose to burn the city given the possibility of | | | | numerous Cuban and foreign personalities (apart from |
| surrendering to the Spanish army. The colossal fire | | | | having a collection of Cuban birds and animals). Each |
| destroyed all the charms and a big part of the village's | | | | and every of the pieces being exhibited is natural |
| history, except for some traces remaining in the | | | | sized. They were modeled in polychrome wax by the |
| cathedral and a few other buildings. | | | | young brothers Rafael and Leander Barrios Milán |
| The squares described by the reporters, 500 years | | | | along with their father and teacher Rafael Barrios |
| ago, remain splendorous thanks to the intense and | | | | Madrigal. Highly appreciated within the institution's |
| meticulous work done by the restorers. La Parroquial | | | | heritage are the sculptures of the prestigious musicians |
| Mayor (The Main Church) is amazing, and totally | | | | Beny Moré, considered as one of the most prolific |
| renovated now, to such extent that the old edification | | | | Cuban composers and singers, known as the Bárbaro |
| seems today a completely young appearance. | | | | del Ritmo (the Fantastic Guy of the Rhythm); Compay |
| The Church, having been struck by various disasters | | | | Segundo; Polo Montañez, known as the "Guajiro |
| such as the 1551 earthquake, is the second of the | | | | Natural" (the Natural Peasant); Sindo Garay; and Carlos |
| temples founded in the Biggest of the Antilles and it's | | | | Puebla, a virtuous guitar player and singer of political |
| located in the southern part of the city. In this Cathedral | | | | and social creations. All of them modeled with a |
| of San Salvador de Bayamo, originally raised in 1613, | | | | stunning accuracy. Since it was opened, more than half |
| remains intact one the most admirable Baroque altars | | | | a million people has visited this place, turning it into the |
| in Cuba. Today, the church is known as the Catedral | | | | most popular place in Bayamo. |