Legacy of Emilio Bacardi Highlighted on Occasion of the 95 th Anniversary of his Death

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (acn) The valuable legacy of Emilio Bacardi as first mayor of Santiago de Cuba and his condition as writer, historian, politician and patriot was remembered on Monday in the eastern city on the 95th anniversary of his death.

Workers of the museum that holds his name, founded in Cuba 118 years ago and the directives of the Cultural Heritage Office placed a floral wreath before his tomb at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery and the monument constructed by his daughter Lucia Victoria Bacardi Cape across the first institution.

During the activity in his honor, participants learned about the commotion of his death in the eastern city who recognized Bacardi's merits, according to publications of the time like El Cubano Libre.

He created the Municipal Music Band and the Firefighters, the famous stairs of the Padre Pico Street was constructed, the birthplace of poet Jose Maria Heredia was recovered, streets and schools were repaired, public lightening and the Flag Festival was created and has been maintained to our days every December 31st.

The Library Museum is considered his best work, opened on February 12 th, 1899 and which separated the function of the museum to a new institution that holds the name of his wife Elvira Cape, due to the increase of the exponents.

They include objects and documents of wars of the 19th century among them a jacket, which belonged to Jose Marti, hammock and gaiter of Antonio Maceo, a Mambi torpedo used by the troops of Calixto Garcia including the only Egyptian mummy, found in Cuba brought by Bacardi in 1912.

Other objects include the painting called La Confronta de billetes, known as the La Lista de la Loteria by Jose Joaquin Tejada, praised by Jose Marti and the ten original volumes of the Bacardi Chronicles that narrates the economic, political and social life of Santiago de Cuba since the colonial period to 1902.

The Emilio Bacardi Museum reopened its doors in October of 2015, after three years of restoration with a new museum look and an Art Salon as an extension in what was the San Carlos Club centuries ago.